


do you believe that we are all innately good

by suzukiblu



Series: Avamorphs [9]
Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Andalites, Consensual Mind Control, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hork-Bajir, Sibling Incest, Yeerks, but for obvious reasons I'm tagging for it anyway, kind of not really incest, look AUs are complicated, morphing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27901663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzukiblu/pseuds/suzukiblu
Summary: < Hey, so I think we have a problem, > the brother interjects.“We do?” Zuko blinks at him.< Yeah. > The brother scratches his ear. < So Katara, Zuko and I have been talking, and we think Jet might be insane. >“Oh, theYeerkdoesn’t like him!” the sister snaps. “That’s all the proof we need, then!”
Relationships: Azula/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Ty Lee/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Avamorphs [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581343
Comments: 63
Kudos: 228





	do you believe that we are all innately good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Museflight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Museflight/gifts).



> Written for Museflight, who wanted more of this AU. Specifically, wanted Jet shenanigans in this AU (though I wrote a whooole lot of other shenanigans too, because I have zero chill about this AU). 
> 
> Sorry for what I’m about to do here, guys.

They’re all back in the shack and Zuko still isn’t sure if he and Lee are surviving this. The group is being very unclear about things. 

The Andalite and the sister, not so much, but the group in general. 

< We could’ve gotten to the Dracon beam under the pool, > Lee says. 

< I would really prefer that we live, actually, > Zuko says. 

“Ty Lee’s gonna notice if we keep them,” the leader says uncertainly, which utterly fails to clear anything up. Zuko glances around the group, waiting for someone to say . . . something. 

“ _Ty Lee_ can’t notice _anything_ ,” the sister says. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of its own issue,” the youngest female says. “So, like . . . what’s the plan, then?” 

“I don’t know,” the leader says. “It’s not . . .” 

“Not what?” Lee asks, folding their arms. “Still not willing to kill another human? Because you’ve definitely done that before.” 

“We’re trying not to,” the leader says, looking pained. 

“You suck at it,” Lee says matter-of-factly. 

< Better dead than a host, > the Andalite says coldly. 

“Of course the _Andalite_ says that!” Lee says in exasperation, scowling at it. “You don’t even know what it’s actually like to _be_ a host!” 

< I mean, to be fair, there seems to be a lot of hating of it going on, > the brother says. < Like . . . galactically speaking and all. >

“You have to admit that, Lee,” the brother’s mate says. “Or . . . Zuko. I’m not sure which one of you is talking right now, to be honest.” 

“Does it matter?” Lee asks. 

< Kind of, yeah? > The brother tilts his head. < That time was Lee, right? >

“Correct,” Zuko confirms with a nod. “Are you going to kill us or not?” 

“We don’t want to kill you,” the leader says. 

“We _should_ kill you,” the sister snaps. 

“That isn’t actually an answer,” Zuko says. 

< Yeah, we should maybe actually decide on that one, > the brother says, sitting back on his haunches. < I vote no. >

"Sokka!" the sister says. 

< I vote yes, > the Andalite says coldly. 

"No," the brother's mate says. 

"No," the youngest female says. 

"Yes!" the sister says. 

The leader . . . hesitates. 

< Aang, we kinda need to know your opinion here, > the brother says, scratching behind his ear. < Like, is this a tie and we have a problem, or . . . ? >

“ _Zuko_ is the problem!” the sister snaps at him. 

"No," the leader says. “I mean—no, I don’t think we should kill them.” 

_“Aang!”_

< Prince Aang—! >

“I know!” the leader says. “I know, but they haven’t done anything.” 

“They’ve lied to us!” the sister says. “And they trick people into becoming hosts, they _said_ so!” 

“I know,” the leader says with a grimace. “But they’re not _killing_ people, and we can’t explain them disappearing. How hard are the Yeerks gonna look for them? Ty Lee’s Yeerk is supposed to be a powerful one, so what does that make Zuko and Lee?” 

“We’re her partner,” Zuko says. “Technically her subordinate.” 

< I mean, to be fair, we don’t have to explain them disappearing, > the brother says with a canine shrug. < They just have to disappear. >

< As they should, > the Andalite says. < Yeerks and their sympathizers cannot be trusted. >

“Right, because Andalites are such perfect paragons of righteous goodness in the universe,” Lee says sarcastically. “You can _definitely_ trust an Andalite.” 

“Zuko?” the brother’s mate guesses uncertainly. 

“No,” Zuko says, tilting their head. “Did you have a question?” 

“Not exactly, but . . .” She hesitates. “You’re not like the other Yeerks.” 

“Plenty of Yeerks are like me,” he says. 

“Azula isn’t,” the brother’s mate says. “Ozai Three isn’t.” 

“They’re not, no,” Zuko agrees. He’s not as good at this as he could be. He doesn’t think Azula Eight Nine Five and Ozai Three are _better_ , just . . . he’s definitely not like them, or most of the other Yeerks on the front line of this invasion. That’s all. “Does it matter?” 

“I’m not sure,” the brother’s mate says, biting her lip. 

< I mean, kinda, > the brother says. < Since Azula and Ozai Three would _definitely_ have already sold us out. And, like, I’d rather not die, maybe that’s just me. >

“I’d die too,” Zuko says. 

< Yeah, that’s pretty much the only reason we haven’t killed you yet, > the brother says frankly. 

“He did help us a couple times,” the youngest female says. “Weirdly.” 

“That doesn’t mean anything,” the sister says. 

“Then just fucking kill us already!” Lee snaps. 

“We’re not going to kill you,” the leader says. 

“Then we’re leaving,” Lee says. The sister steps forward and grabs their arm. 

“No!” she says. “Aang, we can’t _trust_ them!” 

“That’s your problem,” Lee says, yanking their arm away. 

< It is your problem, Yeerk, > the Andalite says coldly, tail blade meaningfully cocked. Lee glares at it. 

“Go on, stab us again,” he challenges. “I know you’re dying to. Big Andalite hero.” 

“Lu Ten . . .” the leader says, then shakes his head. “Zuko, it’s not like—” 

“You can’t even tell which one of us is talking!” Lee interrupts in exasperation, throwing their hands up. “What makes you think you have _any_ idea what we’re going to do?!” 

“That one was definitely Lee,” the youngest female says, pointing more or less in their direction. 

< Yeah, seconded, > the brother agrees. < Look, guys, if we’re letting them go, we’re letting them go. We can’t go back and forth about it all weekend. >

“I’m not going back and forth about it,” the sister snaps. 

“Yeah, but you’re outvoted, Sugarqueen,” the youngest female says with a shrug. “And apparently we’re a democracy. When we’re not prince-ing up Twinkletoes, anyway.” 

“It’s not right to kill them,” the leader says unsteadily. 

“It’s not safe to let them go!” the sister says in frustration. “You _know_ it’s not!” 

< They will betray us, > the Andalite says. < They cannot be trusted. >

“It’d be murder,” the brother’s mate says. 

< It would be the execution of a traitor! >

< To be fair . . . neither of them’s actually done anything to betray us, > the brother says. < Like, aside from pretending not to be a Controller. They’ve only been helping us. >

“We would’ve lost the first night at the Yeerk pool,” the brother’s mate says. “That Controller had Katara at the pier. And Sokka only managed to hide long enough to survive because of them.” 

“They didn’t do that to _help_ us!” the sister says. “They did it because of Prince Iroh’s memories. They said so themselves.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause that would explain spending _weeks_ running around with us,” the youngest female snorts. 

“We weren’t helping you,” Zuko says. 

“Yeah you were, Slimer,” the youngest female says. “However you justified it to yourselves, you saved our butts. And we saved yours too, a couple times in there.” 

< That means nothing, to a Yeerk, > the Andalite says. < They have no loyalty. >

“How would you know?” Zuko demands, glaring at him. What does an Andalite know about _anything_ , much less what matters to Yeerks? 

< A loyal sentient would’ve sold us out to their superiors immediately, > the Andalite says, and Zuko balks. < You two are only out for yourselves. >

“You don’t know anything about it!” Lee snaps. 

< I mean . . . you kind of are, > the brother says. < Otherwise you’d care about Ty Lee, for one thing. >

“Shut up about Ty Lee!” Lee snarls at him hotly. “You don’t know anything about her either!” 

“It’s fine,” the leader says quietly. “So they’re only out for themselves. That means they won’t betray us, because that’d get Zuko killed.” 

“We don’t _know_ that!” the sister says. 

“You two should leave now,” the leader says, just looking at them. “Azula and Jee are going to be wondering where you are.” 

_“Aang!”_

“We’re not out for ourselves,” Zuko says stiffly, straightening their spine. Lee simmers with fury in the back of their mind, ready to lash out again at any moment. “We’re out for each other.” 

“Okay,” the leader says, still looking at them intently. “So how’s that any different?” 

“Fuck you,” Lee says, and they turn and leave. 

It's not an answer, obviously, but Zuko doesn't know what the answer actually should've been. 

.

.

.

Not being an Animorph anymore is . . . strange. It was only a few weeks of their life, really, but it was a very impactful few weeks. 

"Morning, baby!" Azula Eight Nine Five says brightly as they walk into school, giving them a kiss on the cheek. Zuko wonders what her host is thinking right now for the first time in . . . a while, definitely. He doesn't worry about it, usually. 

< She's fine, > Lee says tightly. 

Zuko doesn't know if that's true anymore. 

"Morning," he says, and kisses Azula Eight Nine Five's—her host's—cheek in return. Azula Eight Nine Five giggles and smiles at him with slick red lips. She does her host's makeup differently than her host did it. Zuko wonders why. 

"Did you finish the math homework?" she asks. 

"No," Zuko says. He was a little distracted, what with almost dying and having to make excuses for Jee Five Three Three and Azula Eight Nine Five and wondering if the Animorphs were going to change their minds about killing them and all the rest of it. "Did you?" 

"I didn't get number five or seven," Azula Eight Nine Five says, putting her hands behind her back. Azula Eight Nine Five can do human math without even thinking about it, of course, but her host isn't very good at it. 

"I can help you during lunch," Zuko says, because Lee's better at math, and Azula Eight Nine Five beams at him. 

"Great!" she says. "Thanks, baby!" 

"Sure," Zuko says, and walks her to homeroom. 

He sees the sister in the hallway on the way. She doesn't look at him, but she slams her locker as they pass. 

.

.

.

Azula Eight Nine Five leaves her host's head and her host collapses with a sob on the pier. Zuko catches her arm to keep her from hurting herself falling. 

She doesn't usually cry these days, but she still cries. Usually on Lee, but still often enough that Zuko's seen it in person a few times. 

"Be careful," he says, pulling her to her feet. She grips their hand in return, tears dripping down her face. 

"Zuko," she says. She hasn't called him by name often, though she hasn't really had many chances to. He doesn't think he's ever called her by hers. 

"Yes?" he says. She's voluntary, after all. No one can blame him for answering her. 

"Is Lee okay?" she asks, wiping at her wet cheeks, and Zuko gives her a bemused look. She could ask him herself in a minute. 

"He's fine," he says. "He's a good host." 

Azula Eight Nine Five's host laughs, an odd little cracked thing, and Zuko frowns at her. 

< What's wrong with her? > Lee says. 

< Why are you both asking _me_? > Zuko asks in exasperation. He should already be in the pool. 

"You're taking care of him, right?" she says with a sniffle. Zuko's frown deepens. 

"Of course," he says. "He's my host." 

"Good," she mumbles, wiping at her face again and squeezing their hand. "Good." 

.

.

.

The sister is talking to a boy in the hall. 

Zuko is trying not to notice her, but it's difficult. 

.

.

.

< Hey, Lee. Hey, Zuko, > the brother says. Zuko stiffens, and Lee whips their head up and looks around, nearly dropping the stack of flyers about the Sharing they’re holding. < No, yeah, be super subtle about it, good job. >

Zuko glimpses the brother and his mate walking on the other side of the park. The brother is wearing a leash, and his mate is holding it. There's leash laws, so of course they are. 

< Relax, we're not spying, > the brother says. < On you guys, I mean. You seen Vice Principal Choi today? Just, like, point if you have. >

Zuko scowls. 

< Taking that as a no, then. >

Zuko turns their body away from the brother and his mate and goes back to handing out the flyers. The Animorphs don’t trust them, and they shouldn’t. 

He has no idea why the brother spoke to him at all. 

.

.

.

They haven't morphed since the night the Animorphs found them out—not together or . . . separately. 

Because they could morph separately, if they wanted. 

Zuko’s uneasy about the idea of being outside of their head outside of the pool, though, and Lee doesn’t like the idea of him being outside of it at all. And anyway, there’s no reason to do it. They don't need to split up. 

They're better together. 

.

.

.

< You have your orders, > Ozai Three says to the squad of Hork-Bajir Controllers in front of him. Zuko resists the irrational urge to look for Mai Six Two Four's host among them. There's no reason it would be here, and no guarantee Mai Six Two Four would even be in it. 

. . . him. 

The Hork-Bajir Controllers salute Ozai Three and turn to leave. Ozai Three turns towards Zuko and Azula Eight Nine Five, and Zuko straightens up as Lee hides behind him in their mind. He's still afraid of Ozai Three, and Zuko doesn't blame him. Ozai Three is a very dangerous Yeerk. 

"Visser," Azula Eight Nine Five says, bowing to Ozai Three. Zuko does the same. "May the rays of the Kandrona shine and strengthen you.”

Ozai Three inspects them both lazily, then walks past them, making a beckoning gesture. They share a glance, then fall in behind him. 

< The two of you have performed your assignments acceptably, > Ozai Three says. Zuko glances at Azula Eight Nine Five again, repressing a confused frown. She looks equally puzzled. Ozai Three doesn't hand out compliments easily. 

"Thank you, Visser," Azula Eight Nine Five says carefully. "We serve the Empire to the best of our abilities." 

< You have recruited more voluntary hosts than any other members of the Sharing, > Ozai Three says. Zuko blinks in surprise. They have? He hasn't been thinking about anything like that, much less paying attention to it. < Your success is a credit to the Empire. >

"Thank you, Visser," Azula Eight Nine Five says. 

"Thank you, Visser," Zuko echoes, feeling . . . bemused, mostly. Lee is silent in their head, still hiding from the force of Ozai Three's presence and thoughtspeak. 

Zuko wonders if Azula Eight Nine Five's host is afraid of Ozai Three too. 

< Continue that success, > Ozai Three says, and dismisses them with a wave. They bow again; he just keeps walking. 

Zuko feels . . . he's not sure what he feels. 

If Ozai Three knew the truth, he'd starve him out of Lee without mercy and see him shriveled and dead on the floor, but Ozai Three doesn't know the truth. 

"I thought he was going to stab one of us again," Azula Eight Nine Five says under her breath. 

"Yeah," Zuko says, still bemused. 

"At this rate we'll get promoted any day now," Azula Eight Nine Five says, smirking in satisfaction, and Zuko feels immediately nauseous. If they get promoted . . . 

They might get different hosts, if they get promoted. Ozai Three and Azula Eight Nine Five and the entire Empire would know what he's done, then. 

And he wouldn't be in Lee anymore, either. 

"Maybe," he says uneasily, and can't banish that nauseous feeling. 

.

.

.

They're due to leave the ship, but Azula Eight Nine Five is retrieving data and new orders for them, so they're headed to the dropship without her. She'll catch up soon enough, but—

A Hork-Bajir-Controller walks around the corner ahead of them. Zuko stops, and the Hork-Bajir-Controller walks past them. 

He knows that host. 

He knows that host, but . . . 

"Mai Six Two Four?" he asks uncertainly, and the other stops too and turns—his? her?—head towards them. 

"What?" she says, sounding a very familiar kind of annoyed, and their throat tightens. Zuko swallows. 

< That's Mai Six Two Four? > Lee says, sounding more interested than he's been outside of a life-or-death scenario in days. 

< Yes, > Zuko says. He doesn't know what to say. He's not her partner anymore and he doesn't know if she even cares about that. He doesn't know if she even wants to talk to him at all. 

"It's, uh," he says, and Mai Six Two Four stills and sharpens. "It's . . ." 

"Zuko Five Three Three," she says, and he has no idea how she knows. 

"Yes," he says, and she turns around completely and steps towards them, looming over them. Her host has always been bigger than his, but he's much, much bigger than Lee is. Zuko tips their head back to stare up at her, and she stares back at them. He feels their stomach tighten. 

"Human host is small," she says. 

"Kind of," he says. 

< Hork-Bajir isn't just big? > Lee grumbles. 

< Not now, Lee, > Zuko says. Lee snorts in annoyance. Zuko . . . 

Zuko keeps staring up at Mai Six Two Four. 

He hadn't known if he'd ever see her again. 

He doesn't know if he'll ever see her again after this, either. 

"Human host soft," Mai Six Two Four says. Zuko . . . hesitates, then reaches out towards her. He touches the base of the blade at her wrist the way a Hork-Bajir female would touch her mate, because he doesn't know how else to touch her, and Mai Six Two Four stares back down at him with a neutral expression. 

"Yeah," he says. "Humans are . . . humans are soft." 

Mai Six Two Four leans down, peering closer at them. Zuko feels their heart jump into their throat. She hasn't moved away from them touching her. 

< This is creepy, > Lee says matter-of-factly. 

< Not _now_ , Lee, > Zuko says tightly. He doesn't know what to do here. He's not in the right body to do what he wants to. 

"Why Zuko Five Three Three here?" Mai Six Two Four says. Zuko's wires are crossed thanks to the human body. He wants to kiss her. Embrace her. Hork-Bajir don't do that the same way humans do, though. He'd slice their body up if he tried. 

"Azula Eight Nine Five and I were reporting in," Zuko says. Mai Six Two Four makes a dissatisfied noise. Zuko isn't sure why. "We're recruiting voluntary hosts." 

"Mai Six Two Four knows," Mai Six Two Four says. "Azula Eight Nine Five said." 

"Oh," Zuko says. He didn't know they'd talked about it. 

"Zuko Five Three Three is soft," Mai Six Two Four says, tilting her head. 

< Is she insulting us or what? > Lee asks in annoyance. 

"Sorry," Zuko says. He's not sure what else to say. "Um . . ." 

Mai Six Two Four tilts her head the other way, watching them intently. Zuko shifts nervously, still not sure what to say. There's so many things he's wanted to say to Mai Six Two Four since the last time he saw her, but none of them seem to fit this conversation. 

"Zuko Five Three Three," Mai Six Two Four says. 

"Yes?" Zuko says, a little abruptly. Mai Six Two Four doesn't say anything else, just keeps looking at them. Zuko's very aware of their hand on her wrist. Hork-Bajir skin feels very different to a human than it does to other Hork-Bajir. 

He wonders what human skin feels like to her. 

Mai Six Two Four dips her head lower again and brushes her cheek against theirs. Zuko goes very still, then leans into the contact. It's dangerous, probably, but he isn't afraid of getting a little sliced up. Mai Six Two Four wouldn't hurt his host on purpose, he knows, and if it happens accidentally, well . . . 

It might be worth it, if it happened accidentally. They could just morph it away anyway. 

And if Mai Six Two Four is going to touch them . . . 

There's a lot Zuko could handle for that, and a little pain is nothing. 

She nuzzles them. A quiet thrill goes up their spine, and Zuko exhales roughly. 

< She's gonna stab us, > Lee predicts. 

< I don't care, > Zuko says, then carefully nuzzles her in return. Lee huffs at him. 

< Fine, but I'm not explaining it to Azula when she does, > he says. 

"Zuko Five Three Three," Mai Six Two Four murmurs again. 

"I missed you," Zuko says stupidly, just barely breathless. Mai Six Two Four nuzzles them again. 

"It be long time," she says evenly. 

"I know," he says, unable to keep himself from craning up into her. He really has missed her. Seeing her again . . . he wasn't ready for how it'd feel, seeing her again. 

< I thought Azula was your girlfriend now, > Lee says. 

< Azula Eight Nine Five is my superior officer, > Zuko corrects. 

< There's a difference for you guys? >

< . . . usually. > Admittedly, that line's been a bit blurred in his life. 

"Long, long time," Mai Six Two Four says. Zuko presses a kiss against her beak, even knowing she won't really feel it. It's a compulsion. She tilts her head slightly again, then very carefully brushes her horns against their temple. Zuko feels that quiet thrill up their spine again. 

"Too long," he says softly, and she leans back and looks at him intently again. 

"Too soft," she says, touching their shoulder carefully with a heavy, clawed hand. 

"I know," Zuko says, hating it. He's never been dissatisfied with Lee's body before, but right now he wants to be a Hork-Bajir so badly it _hurts_. 

They could be, technically. He could acquire Mai Six Two Four's host right now and be one in seconds. 

That'd be its own problem, though, obviously. 

< Yeah, let's not do that, > Lee says. 

"Mai Six Two Four has to go," Mai says, and Zuko _aches_ in a way he's ached very few times in his life. She's probably about to be late for something, though, and being late is not a thing a smart Yeerk does. 

He just . . . he just wants to keep touching her. 

"Okay," he says, and forces their hand to drop away from her bladed wrist. She looks at them for a long, long moment, and he wants to press their foreheads together like Hork-Bajir mates would do so _badly_ but her horns would cut them. 

It might be worth it, he thinks. 

"Don't die, Zuko Five Three Three," Mai Six Two Four says. 

"You either," Zuko says, _aching_ , and she turns and leaves. 

He stands there for a long time, even after she's long gone. 

He doesn't know if he'll ever see her again. 

He doesn't know, but . . . 

.

.

.

They see the sister at school. She's talking to that boy again. Maybe they’re friends. 

Zuko makes sure not to look at her for too long, but it still feels strange to ignore her. 

.

.

.

"Hey," a voice says casually, and Zuko looks away from their locker and finds the boy the sister's been talking to leaning against the locker next to them—her apparent friend. He . . . blinks. 

"What?" he asks warily, not sure what to expect. 

"Name's Jet," the sister’s friend says in that same casual tone. He's chewing on a toothpick, and he rolls it from one side of his mouth to the other. 

"Lee," Zuko says, and the other smirks around the toothpick. 

"No it's not," he says. Zuko stiffens. Lee sharpens. 

"The hell would you know?" Lee says, narrowing their eyes at him. 

"Oh, just heard it around," the sister’s friend says lightly, and then he pushes off the locker and leaves. Lee glares after him suspiciously. Zuko tries to figure out if they should go warn Azula Eight Nine Five. 

Did the sister say something? Why would she do that? 

She wouldn't. The sister’s friend doesn't know anything, except maybe that the sister hates them. There's no reason to tell Azula Eight Nine Five anything, especially not when the sister would definitely take it badly if something happened to him. 

Zuko doesn't remember seeing him around before, though. 

.

.

.

"Hey, hot stuff!" Azula Eight Nine Five says brightly, and Zuko wonders about her host again. 

.

.

.

Jee Five Three Three's host isn't voluntary, so they go to separate piers when it's time to feed. 

So Zuko has no idea how Lee's father got anywhere _near_ him. 

He doesn't know anything about it until he's back in their head, though, and Lee's practically frantic to disappear inside him. 

< Lee? > he says in alarm. < What happened? >

< Nothing, > Lee lies, hiding inside him. Zuko gets a flash of memory of Lee's father, furious, and painfully strong hands around their neck. He bristles reflexively, even though a moment later in the memory the sensation is interrupted by Azula Eight Nine Five's host punching the man hard enough to knock him to the ground. 

< What the _hell_ , > he says as he stands up from the edge of the pier. 

< I don't wanna talk about it, > Lee says. 

"Well, that went poorly," Azula Eight Nine Five says from behind them. Zuko turns to look at her. 

"What the fuck happened?" he says. Their voice is raspy. It hurts to talk. 

"Someone was trying to put Utor Eight Eight Six in that stupid human," she says, eyeing her bruised knuckles before inspecting her nails. "It didn't work out." 

"What happened to Jee Five Three Three?" Zuko says. 

"Nothing," Azula Eight Nine Five says with a shrug. "They want him for a mission. He'll be back in a week. How bad's the bruising?" 

"Bad," Zuko says with a grimace, touching their throat. 

"Unfortunate," she says, making a face. "I can see it already." 

"Was Utor Eight Eight Six actually in him?" Zuko says. 

"No, the idiots just took it by the voluntary hosts’ area on the way and it broke free," Azula Eight Nine Five says, rolling her eyes. "Ridiculous. My host could've broken a nail.” 

"My host could've _died_ ," Zuko says, reaching inside himself to touch Lee, who flinches back. He is . . . not pleased about it. 

"Oh, it's fine, it'll heal," Azula Eight Nine Five says dismissively. "Humans are surprisingly durable, all things considered." 

"Mm." Zuko rubs at their throat. 

< That should never have happened, > he says. 

< It's not your fault, > Lee says listlessly. < You wouldn't have let him touch us. >

Lee'd frozen, Zuko realizes. Azula Eight Nine Five's host hadn't. 

He's very . . . he's upset. Lee's father should never have touched him again. 

< It's not your fault, > Lee repeats. 

"I'm going to kill that man," Zuko says tightly. 

"I suppose we could, once your host is an adult," Azula Eight Nine Five muses. "It really isn’t all that useful a host.” 

Zuko clenches their fists. It's not enough. He wants worse than that. He wants to make Lee's father regret ever _breathing_. 

"Come on, we have work to do," Azula Eight Nine Five says, turning away and heading down the pier. Zuko forces himself to follow her, but can't stop fuming. Lee's father even getting near Lee at all without someone in his head, much less getting his _hands_ on him—

< I'm sorry, > Lee says, and Zuko—frowns. < I got us injured. >

< I could not care less about being injured, > Zuko says. < I care that I wasn't there with a Dracon beam. >

< Mm, > Lee says, still curled up small in their head. 

< Your father is my least favorite sentient on this planet, > Zuko says darkly. 

< Yeah, > Lee says with a humorless laugh. < Mine too. >

.

.

.

The leader and the youngest female are sneaking into the vice principal's office. 

Zuko just keeps walking and pretends not to notice them. 

.

.

.

The Andalite is in the school—in its human morph, of course, but still sticking out as a stranger—and Zuko resists the irrational urge to go shove it in a closet for its own good. What's it going to do if someone asks it what it's doing here or who it is? 

The Animorphs don't think their plans through well at all. 

The sister's friend steps out of a classroom into the hall and heads over to the Andalite, who clearly recognizes him. Zuko . . . frowns. It's one thing for the sister to know him, but . . . 

< Who _is_ this guy, anyway? > Lee says. 

They can't stay to find out, obviously, but it bothers them all the same. 

.

.

.

< Hey, guys, > the brother says, sitting down next to them on the grassy school grounds. Zuko gives him an incredulous look. < Relax, nobody's around. I'd hear 'em. >

"Security cameras exist, idiot," Zuko hisses. 

< You think I don't know where the school security cameras are? > the brother says, scratching behind his ear with a hind paw. < Come on, man, give me _some_ credit. >

< What the hell does _he_ want? > Lee says. 

< I would love to tell you, > Zuko says. 

< What are your feelings on doing the ol' team a little favor? > the brother says. < For old times' sake and all. >

"I'm not betraying my people for you," Zuko says flatly. 

< I meannnn, the alternative is us breaking in and _killing_ your people, soooo . . . >

"What do you want," Zuko says, just _eyeing_ him. 

< World peace and Ozai Three's head on a platter, > the brother says. < But we'll settle for the location of the Kandrona. >

"What?! Why the _hell_ would we tell you that?!" Zuko demands with a scowl, balking at the thought. 

< 'Cuz us crashing around the pool with no idea where we're going will kill more Controllers? > the brother says. 

"And what do you think will happen if you get it?" Zuko demands. "It'd starve my people and get yours executed." 

< How do you figure that? > the brother says, cocking his head. 

"Because that's standard protocol with an abandoned host," Zuko says. "Didn't the Andalite tell you that?" 

< Nope, > the brother says. < Although that does sound like the kind of thing he wouldn't tell us. >

"You're idiots," Zuko says. "You really think they'd just let former hosts walk away?" 

< I guess not, > the brother says. < I'm understanding less and less why you're loyal to people who don't care if you live or die, though. >

"You're the ones killing people," Zuko says with another scowl. "We're just trying to live." 

< Dude, you are not convincing me the Yeerk Empire doesn't kill more Yeerks than we do, > the brother says with a snort. < Ozai Three does it for the hell of it sometimes, as far as I can tell. >

"That's—different," Zuko says. 

< Yeah, they can fight back against us, > the brother says frankly. 

"Your friends _boiled_ an entire pool," Zuko snaps. 

< Yeah, and they nearly got shot doing it, > the brother says reasonably. 

"You want to destroy the Kandrona!" 

< Like we're not gonna get shot at doing that either? >

"I'm not telling you anything!" Zuko snaps. "Do you people never think things through? You're going to get more people killed than you're going to save." 

< That . . . is a valid point, > the brother says, scratching behind his ear again. < Maybe. >

"Definitely," Lee says. "They've got other Kandronas, it's not like you're gonna starve the whole invasion off the planet." 

< Hm, > the brother says. 

"Whose stupid idea was that anyway, Lu Ten's?" Lee says derisively. 

< No comment, > the brother says, then pauses for a moment, looking . . . speculative, maybe. < Hey, Zuko. Do you actually want to be in this war? Like, if you and Lee could just go off wherever and be safe, would you do it? >

"What kind of question is that?" Zuko says, frowning at him. "I'm not going to abandon my people." 

< Yeah, I guess you wouldn't, would you, > the brother says. He doesn't say anything else, and Zuko keeps frowning at him. Where did that come from, anyway? 

Humans make so little sense, even living in one. 

< Don't blame me, > Lee says. < I don't know what he's talking about either. >

< Alright, > the brother says, getting to his feet again. < Well . . . see you two around, I guess. >

"We'd rather not, actually," Lee says. The brother snorts and walks away. 

Zuko still doesn't know what to think of that question. 

.

.

.

They dream of blue-green grass and alien skies, and of Lee’s mother. 

Zuko still doesn’t know how he feels about the great Andalite war hero Iroh dying only thinking of home. 

He knows how Lee feels about his mother, though. 

.

.

.

They see the sister’s friend in the hall again. 

They really are seeing him around an awful lot. 

.

.

.

The sister trips down the steps outside the mall and Lee catches her reflexively. 

“Don’t touch me!” she snaps, immediately yanking out of their grip. 

“You’re welcome,” Lee says dryly. She glares at them. 

“What are you doing here?” she demands. 

“It’s the mall,” Zuko says, really not understanding the question. “We come here all the time.” 

"You know what I mean!" she says. 

"I really don't," he says. Her glare darkens. 

“We’re going to find the Kandrona, you know,” she says. “No matter what you say.” 

“I say you’re going to get people killed,” Zuko says. He’d be more concerned about that if he thought there was any chance of them actually finding it, but he seriously doubts their ability to given what a mess so many of their previous missions were. He and Lee were there for them, after all. “On both our sides.” 

“Like we’d believe _you_ ,” the sister snaps. 

“What, did the Andalite pretend it wasn’t going to happen?” Zuko says. “Because it is.” 

“You’re a liar,” the sister says. “You’ve always been a liar.” 

“So what?” Lee says. The sister _glares_ at them. 

“Stay out of our way,” she says, pointing at them accusingly. “If you make trouble for us, you’re going to regret ever _hearing_ of Earth.” 

“I already regret ever hearing of Earth,” Lee snorts. “You’re the idiots who think it’s worth wasting time trying to save it.” 

“We’re _going_ to save it, Yeerk,” the sister hisses. 

“God, you really do never have any idea who you’re talking to, do you,” Lee says. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” the sister demands. 

“It means you can’t tell us apart,” Zuko says with a sigh. “What else would it mean?” 

“That’s because you’re _both_ liars,” the sister says. 

“Funny story, but you’re all stupid enough we barely had to,” Lee says, and the sister bristles angrily. 

“When it’s time to kill you, I hope it’s me,” she says flatly. “And I hope it _hurts_.” 

“Who said you’re going to be the one who wins that fight?” Lee retorts, glowering down at her. 

“We’ll see, won’t we,” she says, and turns her back and leaves. 

.

.

.

< Hey guys, > the brother says, trotting up to them like they're not in public and the middle of an outdoor concert. Zuko's trying to hand out flyers for the Sharing again. The brother’s trying to do Father Deep knows what. < Don't mind me, just sniffing around. >

"Fuck off," Lee says. The brother sniffs at their flyers. Zuko ducks behind the bleachers and holds them out of reach. 

< We talked to Lu Ten, > the brother says, padding after them. < He backed you up. Aang's pretty mad at him for not telling us sooner. >

"That's because we were telling the truth," Zuko says in annoyance. "And because Andalites never share information they don't have to." 

< Yeah, I'm noticing that, > the brother says, then sniffs at them again. < Hm. >

"What are you doing?" Zuko says, scowling at him. "You know what we _smell_ like." 

< Yeah, > the brother says musingly. < Hey, is Teo a Controller? >

"What?" Zuko blinks at him. 

< Teo, > the brother repeats. < Black hair, brown eyes, custom wheelchair? Currently handing out Sharing flyers on the other side of this concert? >

"I know who he _is_ , human," Zuko says in exasperation. He recruited him as a host himself, in fact. The other was very agreeable to the process. 

< So he _is_ a Controller? >

"His name's Qin Seven Four Six," Zuko says with a sigh. "He's in the science division." 

< Huh, > the brother says, cocking his head. 

"Why do you care?" Zuko says. 

< 'Cuz he smells weird, > the brother says. 

"We don't smell weird!" Zuko says indignantly. 

< Yeah, _you_ don't, > the brother says. < He does. >

"What's that mean?" Lee says, wrinkling their nose. 

< Whoops, heads up, > the brother says. Zuko looks behind them automatically, and speak of the devil . . . 

"Lee!" Qin Seven Four Six says cheerfully as he rolls up. "I'm out of flyers, do you have any more?" 

Zuko doesn't particularly like Qin Seven Four Six, though he does feel vaguely responsible for his host, considering. He doesn't _dis_ like him either, anyway. 

"A few," he says, splitting his pile of remaining flyers in half. It'll save him some time. 

"Thanks!" Qin Seven Four Six says in that same cheerful tone. He's very good at pretending to be his host, though occasionally Zuko wonders why he bothers when it's just other Controllers he's talking to. Maybe his host is similar to Lee, though. Zuko has yet to meet another host like Lee, but they must exist _somewhere_ on this planet. Lee can't be the only one. 

< He's a weird kid, > Lee says. < He talks to Ty Lee at the pool sometimes. She says he's got a trippy aura. >

< Hm, > Zuko says. The brother leans out from behind them, wagging his tail. 

"Oh!" Qin Seven Four Six brightens at the sight of him. "You found a dog!" 

"More like it found us," Zuko says. 

"He's cute!" Qin Seven Four Six says, holding out his free hand towards the brother, who sniffs curiously at it and then pushes his head into it. Qin Seven Four Six scruffs him happily. Zuko watches in bemusement. 

"What are you doing?" he says. 

"My host likes dogs," Qin Seven Four Six says reasonably, still petting the brother, who's wagging his tail as pleased as anything. "Doesn't yours?" 

"They're kind of annoying," Lee says. 

"They're great!" Qin Seven Four Six says. Zuko gives him another bemused look. Maybe Qin Seven Four Six is a little overdue for the pool. Or his host might've gotten a bit too much sun today. 

"Okay," he says, for lack of a better response. 

"Good boy!" Qin Seven Four Six says to the brother. The brother wags his tail harder and Qin Seven Four Six checks his collar. "What's your name, boy? Warrior? That's such a good name! A good name for a good boy!" 

Zuko is _so_ lost right now. 

"Where's your human, huh, boy?" Qin Seven Four Six asks, scratching under the brother's chin. "You're not lost, are you?" 

"He's Suki's," Lee says. "From the gymnastics team." 

"Oh yeah, she almost punched Azula Eight Nine Five that one time," Qin Seven Four Six remembers. 

"We don't remind Azula Eight Nine Five about that," Zuko says with a grimace. Qin Seven Four Six laughs, then scruffs the brother's ears again. 

"Where's Suki, huh, boy?" he says. "Where's your human?" 

< Are you _sure_ this guy's a Yeerk? > the brother asks, craning his neck to let Qin Seven Four Six reach his ears better. Zuko scowls at him. < Just asking. >

"We should take him back to her," Qin Seven Four Six says. "There's a leash law." 

"So?" Lee says. 

"Does your host not do that kind of thing?" Qin Seven Four Six asks, tilting his head. "Most humans would." 

"Not really," Lee says. 

"Well, mine would," Qin Seven Four Six says. He pulls a leash out of one of the saddlebags attached to his chair, bemusingly, and clips it to the brother's collar. The brother lets him. 

< He just has a leash on him? > the brother says. 

"You just have a leash on you?" Zuko says at the same time, then mildly hates himself. 

"Yeah," Qin Seven Four Six says, tucking away his share of the flyers. "What if I run into a lost dog? Or a stray?" 

"Then it's not your problem?" Lee says. 

"Somebody has to take care of them," Qin Seven Four Six says, like _they're_ the weird ones here. 

"You do realize Azula Eight Nine Five expects us back in an hour, right?" Zuko says, eyeing the brother dubiously. The brother wags his tail unassumingly. 

"It won't take that long," Qin Seven Four Six says with a shrug. "Suki’s gotta be looking for him too. Right, Warrior?" 

< Yeah, it won't take long, guys. > The brother wags his tail harder. If a dog could look smug . . . 

"I'm not explaining this to Azula Eight Nine Five," Zuko mutters. 

"You won't have to," Qin Seven Four Six says easily, then wheels away with the brother trotting contentedly beside him. Zuko follows them, mostly because he's worried the brother's going to do something stupid. 

< He always does something stupid, > Lee says. 

< Thus my concern, > Zuko says. 

"Oh, you're coming?" Qin Seven Four Six asks, giving them a surprised look. 

"Who knows how long you'll be at this otherwise," Lee says, looking around the crowd. They do have a better vantage point than Qin Seven Four Six, admittedly. There's no sign of the brother's mate, though. Zuko wonders if she's even here. 

"Thanks," Qin Seven Four Six says, grinning up at them. Zuko really does not understand him. 

< Suki's over by the food trucks, > the brother says, tail wagging. 

"Let's try over by the food trucks," Zuko says. "That's a logical place to be looking for a dog." 

"Good idea," Qin Seven Four Six says, and they make their way through the crowd. 

< Suki! > the brother calls. < Can you come get me? >

"Warrior!" the brother's mate exclaims, appearing out of the crowd. Qin Seven Four Six unclips the leash and the brother bounds over to her. 

"We found him under the bleachers," Qin Seven Four Six says. 

"Thank you," the brother's mate says, sparing a briefly wary look for Zuko and Lee before smiling at Qin Seven Four Six. "He runs off sometimes. We're working on it." 

"Yeah, you have to be careful," Qin Seven Four Six says. "He could get hit by a car or something." 

"Definitely working on it," the brother's mate says, scratching the brother's ears. "Good boy, Warrior." 

< So Teo's totally a Controller, > the brother tells her conversationally. < He smells _really_ weird, though. As in, he doesn't smell like anything. >

That's . . . definitely weird. 

< The hell is he talking about? > Lee says. < Everything smells like _something_. >

< Apparently not, > Zuko says. 

"Thanks, Teo," the brother's mate says. "I appreciate you bringing him back to me." 

"Sure," Qin Seven Four Six says. "But you really do need to be careful. Wolfdogs aren't actually legal around here." 

"Oh, uh," the brother's mate says, looking surprised. Zuko's surprised too, actually. People don't usually clock the brother's specific breed. He doesn't give off a very "wolf" impression outside of fights. Usually people assume he's some kind of generic mutt. "I . . . didn't know that?" 

"Yeah, not everybody does," Qin Seven Four Six says, smiling at her. "Where'd you get him? The shelter would've put him down." 

"Um, he was abandoned, I think," the brother's mate says, shifting awkwardly. "Just kinda found him on a hike and never found his old owner." 

"That's awful," Qin Seven Four Six says, looking genuinely distressed. Zuko _really_ does not understand him. "He's lucky you picked him up and not Animal Control." 

"He's a really good guard dog," the brother's mate says, still looking awkward. Probably she's wondering why a Controller wants to know any of this. So is Zuko, frankly. "Really well-trained." 

"That's good," Qin Seven Four Six says, smiling at her again. "I'm glad he's in a good home." 

"Thanks," the brother's mate says. The brother wags his tail. Zuko continues to have no idea why they're having this conversation. 

"We should go finish with the flyers, Teo," he says. "We're supposed to meet Ty Lee soon." 

"Oh, right," Qin Seven Four Six says. "Okay, yeah, let's go. Nice to meet you, Warrior!" 

"Thanks again," the brother's mate says, giving them a little wave. 

"Any time," Qin Seven Four Six says with a grin, and they leave. Zuko expects the humans are just as confused as he is, considering. 

"Was all that really necessary?" he asks, and Qin Seven Four Six just shrugs. 

"I just like dogs," he says. 

.

.

.

Zuko's piling books inside their locker when the sister's friend shows up again. 

"Hey," the sister's friend says. Lee eyes him suspiciously. 

"Hey," Zuko says. He'd rather ignore him, but that's probably not the human thing to do. 

< I would've, > Lee snorts. 

Maybe next time, Zuko thinks. 

"You busy?" the sister's friend says as he leans against the nearest locker. 

"Yes," Lee lies. The sister's friend smirks at them. 

"No you're not," he says. Lee glares at him. 

"How the fuck would you know?" he asks. 

"Because you're never busy unless your girlfriend needs you for something and she already left for the day," the sister's friend says, folding his arms. 

"I'm meeting her at the Sharing meeting," Zuko says, slightly defensive without a good reason. The other's just bringing it out of him, somehow. 

"Yeah?" the sister's friend says, raising an eyebrow at him. "When's that?" 

"What do you _want_?" Lee says in annoyance, closing their locker. 

"A favor," the sister's friend says. 

"Are you kidding? Why the hell would I do you a favor?" Lee asks incredulously. 

"No reason," the sister's friend says, leaning into their space with another smirk. "But what else are you doing?" 

"None of your damn business," Lee says. 

"Well, Vice Principal Choi's not in his office right now," the sister's friend says casually. 

". . ." Lee says. 

The sister's friend _grins_. 

.

.

.

Zuko has no idea how they ended up in Zhao Two Four Six's office, but he's going to blame Lee. Lee gets them in _situations_. 

< This is stupid, > he says. 

< Everything is stupid, Zuko, > Lee says. < I've been bored out of my mind for _days_. >

< So we're breaking into Zhao Two Four Six's office with a human?! > Zuko demands. 

< I mean . . . yeah? >

< You're impossible. >

"Heads up," the sister's friend says. 

"What?" Lee says, and barely catches Zhao Two Four Six's briefcase as the other tosses it across the desk to them. It's heavy. "Hey!" 

"Too heavy?" the sister's friend asks with a smirk. 

"Fuck you," Lee says. 

< What is _in_ this thing? > Zuko says. Lee sets it down on the desk and opens it. < Oh. >

It's a Dracon beam. Also a lot of paperwork, but mostly the Dracon beam. 

"What the hell is that?" the sister's friend says. 

"Beats me," Lee lies. How is Zhao Two Four Six stupid enough to bring a Dracon beam to _school_ , Zuko wonders, much less leave it alone and unsecured. Azula Eight Nine Five would have his head if she knew. 

Obviously Zuko isn't going to be telling her, of course, since he'd have to explain how he knew if he did. 

The sister's friend is going through Zhao Two Four Six's desk drawers. Zuko is regretting . . . pretty much all of this, really. 

"Here we go," the sister's friend says, sounding satisfied. He straightens up with a ring of keys that are probably also something Zhao Two Four Six should've locked up. 

"What are those for?" Lee says. 

"A good time," the sister's friend says. "C'mon, let's get out of here." 

"All you wanted was his keys?" Zuko says. 

"I mean, I could think of a couple other things," the sister's friend says. Zuko frowns. Somebody walks by the door and they freeze, but whoever it is doesn't come in, thank Mother Sky. They sneak out of the office unseen with the keys and duck into an empty classroom down the hall. 

"Happy now?" Lee says. 

"Pretty happy, yeah," the sister's friend says. 

"Is that really all you wanted?" Zuko says skeptically. It really doesn't seem like much. 

"I mean, not if you wanna tell me where the Kandrona is," the sister's friend says, and Zuko bristles. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lee lies. The sister's friend smirks. 

"Yeah, sure you don't, Zuko," he says. 

"Who the hell is Zuko?" Lee says. 

"They told me all about you," the sister's friend says. "How you were at the construction site with them when Iroh died." 

"Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about," Lee says. 

"You're a Yeerk," the sister's friend says. 

"You're fucking suicidal," Lee says, and the other smirks at them. Lee glowers back. 

"What?" the sister's friend says. "Don't like being found out?" 

Lee lunges forward and shoves him into the teacher's desk, pinning him against it. The other's eyes flare and he grabs onto them. 

"One good reason why I shouldn't just fucking kill you," Lee says flatly. The other's smirk widens. 

"I should be saying that to you," he says. Lee . . . pauses, oddly, and blinks heavily. His mind . . . drifts. 

< Lee? > Zuko says in alarm, and the sister's friend shoves them back, breaking their grip. 

< The fuck? > Lee manages, half-stumbling, and Zuko belatedly recognizes the sensation. 

"Did you just _acquire_ us?!" Zuko demands disbelievingly, and the sister's friend laughs. 

"What, like you've never been acquired before?" he says. 

"How?!" Zuko says. 

"Wouldn't you like to know," the other says. 

.

.

.

"Why can your sister's friend morph?" Zuko says to the brother through gritted teeth. They're outside the school again, and hopefully nowhere near any security cameras. 

< Why do you _know_ he can morph? > the brother asks. 

"He acquired us," Zuko says. 

< . . . like, _both_ of you? >

"I don't know," Zuko says. "The morphing power went through my host just fine when Iroh was giving it out." 

< Point. >

"So why can _he_ morph?" 

< It was a whole big thing, > the brother says. < Guess you missed it, obviously. >

"Obviously," Lee says. 

< Why did he acquire you? >

"He didn't actually _tell_ us," Zuko says in exasperation. "He just did it." 

< That's . . . weird and concerning, > the brother says, sounding troubled. 

" _He's_ weird and concerning," Lee says. 

< I will admit he's not my _favorite_ other Animorph, > the brother says. 

"He's an Animorph?" Zuko asks, feeling . . . odd. 

< I mean, duh? > the brother says. < What'd you think, we just kept him around as a mascot? >

"You're the mascot," Lee snorts. 

< Wow, _rude_. Accurate, but rude. >

"He asked us about the Kandrona too," Zuko says. 

< He did? > The brother cocks his head. < Why? >

"You keep assuming he told us anything," Zuko says dubiously. 

< Okay, fair. >

"Tell him to leave us alone or I'll kill him," Lee says flatly. 

< . . . so that was Lee, right? >

"Yes," Zuko says. 

< Hm. >

"What?" Lee says, scowling at him. 

< Nothing, > the brother says. < You're just not that much like Zuko, I guess. >

"Who said I was?" Lee says. 

< Nobody, > the brother says. < I was just thinking about it. >

.

.

.

"What are you staring at?" Azula Eight Nine Five asks. 

"Nothing," Lee lies, flicking their eyes away from the sister and her friend on the other side of the cafeteria. They're sitting together, heads leaned in close to each other. 

"Sorry," Zuko says. "You were saying?" 

"Ozai Three is coming to the pool tonight," Azula Eight Nine Five says. "Don't bring any new hosts down." 

"Got it," Zuko says, dipping their head in a nod. Ozai Three tends to intimidate new hosts, for obvious reasons. Ozai Three tends to intimidate _everyone_. They don't really have any new hosts to bring down right now anyway, though, so it wouldn't have been a problem either way. 

"The Andalite bandits haven't done anything in a while," Azula Eight Nine Five says. "The Visser wants them found before they do." 

"I mean, what, he thinks we're gonna turn them up with no leads?" Lee says. 

"What Ozai Three wants, he gets," Azula Eight Nine Five says. Lee snorts. 

"Sure," he says. "And I want to be as tough as a Hork-Bajir, but that ain't happening either." 

"Oh, don't fuss," Azula Eight Nine Five says, waving them off. "It's much more interesting being on the front lines of an active invasion. You can be a Hork-Bajir again some other time." 

"Maybe," Zuko says, trying not to think of Mai Six Two Four. Just . . . not right now. 

Taking another host would mean getting killed as soon as Lee got a new Yeerk, though. And also . . .

< You wouldn’t leave me like that, right? > Lee says, sounding briefly uncertain. < Even to be a Hork-Bajir with Mai? >

< No, > Zuko says, stroking the other's consciousness reassuringly. < I'm not going anywhere. >

.

.

.

They’ve run into the sister accidentally, which is unfortunately easy to do. It’s just not that big a school. The brother’s with her, though for whatever reason they aren’t bothering with a leash today. 

“Go away,” the sister says. 

“We were here first,” Lee retorts. 

< Hey, so I think we have a problem, > the brother interjects. 

“We do?” Zuko blinks at him. 

< Yeah. > The brother scratches his ear. < So Katara, Zuko and I have been talking, and we think Jet might be insane. >

“Oh, the _Yeerk_ doesn’t like him!” the sister snaps. “That’s all the proof we need, then!” 

< Well, there’s that and the fact that your boyfriend reminds me more of Lee than literally any other human person I have met, > the brother says. < Except Jet doesn’t have a Zuko in his head with him. Or, like . . . any emotional attachments. >

“He’s not my boyfriend! And that’s not his fault!” the sister says defensively. “His parents are Controllers!” 

< Yeah and he was cool with us almost _killing them_ , > the brother says. < Because what, it’s better to be dead than be a host? >

“Yes!” she snaps. 

“That’s a very Andalite thing to say, considering Andalites have no idea what it's actually like to be a host,” Zuko says. 

"They just have to _ask_ , Lee!" she says in frustration. "Just because your Yeerk isn't as bad as he could be doesn't mean they're all like that!" 

"You have no idea what Zuko's like," Lee says irritably. "You don't even know what _I'm_ like." 

< Not that I want to derail this very important conversation or anything but can we please focus on the Jet issue? > the brother says. < Because it's kind of an issue. >

"No it's not," the sister says angrily. "Jet's helping us. These two are just out for themselves.” 

< For each other, > the brother says. 

"That's not _different_!" 

< Are we sure? >

"Yes!" 

"You wouldn't know," Lee says. 

"All you two do is take care of yourselves," the sister says. “You don’t care about Ty Lee or Earth or _anyone_ else.” 

“You don’t know anything about Ty Lee!” Lee snaps. 

“I know you’re awful to her!” the sister snaps back. “I know you aren’t _helping_ her!” 

“She’s safe!” Lee says. 

“She’s _not_!” 

< Seriously, I really did want to talk about Jet. >

“Why?” Zuko says in frustration, raking a hand through their hair to get it out of their face. 

< Because he acquired a Controller for no discernable reason and we should maybe be asking why? > the brother says. < Like, that seems like important information to have. >

“So what?” the sister says. “Lu Ten’s acquired them too.” 

< Lu Ten _asked_ , > the brother says. < And also acquired all the rest of you at the same time. And also we know why he did it? Because he told us? >

“So we’ll ask Jet and he’ll tell us,” the sister says, folding her arms stubbornly. 

“Yeah, we’d like to know too, actually,” Lee says. “If he morphs us and runs into another Controller, shit’s gonna go down.” 

“He’s not _stupid_ ,” the sister says. 

“You guys have all _sorts_ of stupid plans,” Lee says. “Or are we pretending the Kandrona idea never came up?” 

“The Ellimist was just trying to help us!” the sister says. 

“The who?” Zuko asks in bemusement, tilting their head. 

< Long story, > the brother says as the sister balks, clapping a hand over her mouth. < We’d tell you but, like, we don’t trust you. You know how it is. >

“You’re not any more trustworthy than we are,” Lee says, narrowing their eyes at him. 

< Maybe not, but, like . . . comparatively? > the brother says. < Anyway that’s a later problem. Right now Jet is still being weird and we don’t know why. >

“Jet’s one of us,” the sister says. 

< So were Zuko and Lee, > the brother says. < And look how _that_ turned out. >

“Jet’s not a Controller!” the sister says in exasperation. 

< That doesn’t mean we can _trust_ him, > the brother says in mirroring exasperation. < Dude’s shady! Increasingly shady! >

“He is not!” the sister says. 

< He is so! >

“Do we need to be here for this?” Zuko asks dubiously. They have things they could be doing. Worrying about what the Animorphs are up to is not their problem anymore, as long as none of them are foolish enough to get infested. 

“We don’t care where you are,” the sister says. 

< Unless Jet said something intention-revealing to you? > the brother says. < Because definitely we still want to know his intentions. >

“Right, because he would’ve told _us_ ,” Lee says, rolling their eyes. 

< I have no idea what that guy would do, frankly, > the brother says, shaking his head. 

“Don’t be an idiot, Sokka,” the sister says. “We don’t even know if he really acquired them!” 

< Dunno how else they figured out he can morph, > the brother says. 

“Who knows!” The sister throws her hands up. “You know we can’t trust what they say!” 

< Mmmmm. >

“We’re going to our locker,” Lee says, giving them an annoyed look. “You two have fun with . . . all this.” 

< I am not having any fun whatsoever, > the brother says, and the sister glares at them. Zuko sighs, and they leave. 

There’s no point in sticking around, after all. 

.

.

.

“Um . . . Lee?” the leader says, leaning into the empty classroom Zuko and Lee are currently hiding from the sister in. Lee drops their head onto the desk they’re sitting at in irritation. 

“What do you want?” Zuko asks with a sigh, turning their head just enough to eye the leader. 

“Can we talk to . . . uh, you?” the leader asks awkwardly as he and the youngest female duck into the classroom and close the door behind themselves. 

“No,” Lee says flatly. 

“Too bad, we’re already in here,” the youngest female says. 

“It’ll just be a minute,” the leader says. 

“You don’t trust us,” Zuko says. “What the hell could you possibly want to talk to us about?” 

“This better not be about the Kandrona again,” Lee says, mouth twisting in annoyance. 

“It’s not about the Kandrona,” the leader says. “Have you seen Jet?” 

“What?” Zuko and Lee give him the same baffled look. 

“We don’t know where he is,” the leader says. 

“For all you idiots can tell, you’re talking to him right now,” Lee snorts. 

“Naw, Jet would be smoother,” the youngest female says, putting her hands on her hips with a smirk. “You two are hopeless.” 

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Lee says, scowling at her. 

“That you’re hopeless,” the youngest female repeats matter-of-factly. 

“So you haven’t seen him?” the leader asks. 

“No,” Zuko says. “Why?” 

“Because we don’t know where he is,” the youngest female says. “What, are you deaf?” 

“Arguably,” Zuko says. The only things he can hear in his own body are the limited echolocation and echocommunication the pool allows for. “How do you not know where he is?” 

“If we knew that, we’d know where he was, wouldn’t we?” the youngest female says with a shrug. 

“He’s been gone all day,” the leader says. 

“So you think my people have him?” Zuko says. If they had him, they’d have come for the rest of them by now, he figures. Unless they’ve just killed him, which is admittedly a possibility. 

“We don’t know,” the leader says. “He didn’t even come to school today.” 

“Can’t the brother track him?” Zuko asks. 

“He tried.” The youngest female shrugs. “Jet morphed his golden eagle in the park and took off somewhere.” 

“And that was hours ago,” the leader says. “We haven’t seen him since. And he’s not answering his phone, either.” 

“If we have him, he’s either already dead or in a morph that can’t be infested,” Zuko says. “Otherwise someone would’ve come for all of us by now.” 

“They wouldn’t have told you if they captured an . . . Andalite bandit?” the leader asks with a grimace. 

“Azula Eight Nine Five, probably, but not me,” Zuko says. “And she’s at the pool right now.” 

“Why?” the youngest female asks, cocking her head curiously. “It’s not your feeding day, right?” 

“How do you know that?” Zuko asks with a frown. 

“We’ve been keeping track since the shack,” the leader says, near-apologetic but not quite. Zuko supposes it makes sense that they would, but his frown deepens anyway. 

“So?” the youngest female says. “Why’s she there?” 

“None of your business,” Lee says, which is probably the right answer. It’s really not the best idea to be telling them Ozai Three’s coming down for an inspection. As far as Zuko knows the Animorphs don’t know where any pool entrances are right now, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t find one if they tried hard enough. 

Besides, it’s not like they’d have told them if they _did_ know where any were. 

“Oh, it's definitely our business,” the youngest female says. 

“Is there a way you can check if he's been captured?” the leader asks. Zuko thinks of blue-green grass and alien skies, irrationally, and banishes those thoughts. 

. . . he wonders, for the first time, why it's always _him_ that Iroh’s memories are coming to. Lee was just as much in their head when Iroh put them in there, after all. 

It's really not the time to be wondering things like that. 

"Nothing that wouldn't be hugely suspicious," he says. 

"Mm." The leader frowns. 

"Lame," the youngest female says, making a face. 

"Okay," the leader says. "Um . . . thanks anyway." 

"Whatever," Lee says. 

The leader and the youngest female leave and close the door behind themselves. Zuko sighs, not sure if he's relieved or not. At least they're gone, though. 

< So we're gonna go check, right? > Lee says. 

< Immediately, yes, > Zuko says, getting to their feet. 

.

.

.

“What are you doing?” Qin Seven Four Six asks curiously as he wheels into the room. 

"Looking something up for Azula Eight Nine Five," Lee lies, not looking away from the computer. 

"What something?" Qin Seven Four Six says. 

< Should we kill him? > Lee asks. 

< We're not killing anyone we don't have to, > Zuko says. 

< So . . . yes? >

< _No_ , Lee. >

"She wouldn't want me telling you," Lee says, turning off the computer. If they have the sister's friend, nobody's bothered mentioning it to anyone else. 

"Oh, okay," Qin Seven Four Six says. He rolls over to them, pretty effectively blocking the way out, and Zuko scowls at him. "Weren't you just down at the pool, though?" 

"What?" Zuko frowns. "No." 

"Really?" Qin Seven Four Six says, tilting his head. "Because I definitely saw you down there with Azula Eight Nine Five." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Zuko says, a pit of dread and borderline panic opening in his stomach. Oh no. Oh _no_. Is the sister's friend actually that stupid? 

He might be that stupid. 

They get a bit distracted then, though, because that's when the explosion happens. 

.

.

.

Zuko wakes up slowly, head full of blue-green grass and alien skies and—

< ZUKO! >

And Lee. 

< What happened? > Zuko asks groggily. He can feel Lee trying to move their body, so he lets him. There's smoke and sparking wreckage everywhere. 

"Are you okay?" Qin Seven Four Six asks. He's leaning over them as much as his host's chair will allow for. There's screaming and shouting in the distance. 

"Yes," Lee lies. Their arm is definitely broken. Their knee is _screaming_ in pain. 

< Did those idiots attack the pool again? > Zuko says. 

< I don't know, > Lee says. < Something blew up. I think we got thrown into the wall. >

"You're bleeding," Qin Seven Four Six says. 

"We're fine," Zuko says. 

"Bleeding is fine?" Qin Seven Four Six says skeptically. 

"Yes," Lee says. They get up. Their knee makes a _bad_ sound, and they fall back down. 

Fuck. 

"Oh, that sounded bad," Qin Seven Four Six says sympathetically. "You should morph." 

_"What?!"_ Zuko says in alarm. 

< So _now_ do we kill him? > Lee asks. 

"It's okay," Qin Seven Four Six says. "I know you're not actually Zuko Five Three Three. No idea what you're doing here, but I guess that's got something to do with things blowing up?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Zuko demands. Is this a trap? This is definitely a trap. 

"I saw you sneaking in earlier," Qin Seven Four Six says. "Which the real Zuko Five Three Three would not have needed to do. And you're definitely not up here looking anything up for Azula Eight Nine Five." 

"I was," Zuko lies unsteadily. What in Father _Deep_ —

"It's okay," Qin Seven Four Six repeats, giving him a reassuring smile. "Though you guys definitely went overboard on the explosives." 

Zuko stares at him. Qin Seven Four Six is . . . what? What is he _talking_ about? 

"You can morph," Qin Seven Four Six says, wheeling deftly past the wreckage to the door. "I'll make sure no one comes down the hall or anything." 

"You think I'm an Andalite?" Zuko says disbelievingly. "And you're _helping_ me? The Visser would eat your _guts_ for that." 

"Oh, I'm not a Yeerk," Qin Seven Four Six says with another smile. "And I don't have guts, actually. But I can explain later. You really need to get out of here right now, though." 

Zuko stares at him. 

< We definitely need to kill him, > Lee says, and Qin Seven Four Six—or whoever this is—rolls out the door. 

They do need to morph. They can't be found up here, and even if they could get out, they can't explain these injuries to Azula Eight Nine Five. 

But who the _hell_ is wearing Qin Seven Four Six's host? It's not the sister's friend, is it? And surely any other Animorph would've just told him who they were, wouldn't they? And all of them would've known he didn't have anything to do with the explosion. 

And they'd know he was _him_ , too, or at least assume he was Lee. 

< Seriously, > Lee says. < We can morph our wolf and kill him. >

< I'm not sure we can, > Zuko says. 

< Why not? > Lee asks in annoyance. 

< The explosion didn't injure him. > Zuko looks at the destroyed computers. < He doesn't even look phased. >

Whoever's wearing Qin Seven Four Six's host wasn't even _dirty_ , he's realizing now. His wheelchair was scuffed, but he himself didn't even look ruffled. 

That . . . doesn't make sense. 

< There's gotta be a Dracon beam around here somewhere, > Lee says. 

< Maybe, > Zuko says. He glances towards the door again. He doesn't know what to do, but . . . 

But. 

< Definitely, > Lee says. Zuko . . . hesitates. 

Then he starts to morph into their hawk. 

< Zuko! > Lee says. < Are you _crazy_?! At least do something that can kill him! >

< I don't think we need to kill him, > Zuko says carefully. < I don't know what he is, but . . . >

< He knows what _we_ are! >

< No he doesn't. He thinks we're an Andalite. >

< Same difference! >

< Since when? >

< You know what I mean! > Lee says, and Zuko steps out of their clothes and stretches out their wings testingly. The injuries are gone, at least. 

< We just need to get out of here, > he says, then starts demorphing. < Ideally before the sister's friend gets us killed. >

< We should Dracon beam _him_ , > Lee grumbles. 

< Tempting. >

They finish demorphing, and Zuko gets up and redresses. Morphing took too long—it always takes them too long, and they haven't done it in a while either—but whoever's wearing Qin Seven Four Six's host hasn't come back. Zuko hesitates again, then steps out into the hall. 

"You look better," whoever's wearing Qin Seven Four Six's host says from the end of the hall, turning to look at them with a friendly smile. 

"Who _are_ you?" Zuko asks guardedly, slowly approaching him as Lee bristles in their head. 

"My name's Teo," the other says. 

"That's the human's name," Zuko replies accusingly. "Teo" smiles at them again. 

"Naw," he says, shaking his head. "I've never been human. Do you know how to get out of here?" 

"Yes," Zuko says. 

"Good," the other says, rolling back to make room for them to pass. "You can come find me later and I'll explain, okay? Maybe we can help each other out." 

"You're assuming I'd know where to find you," Zuko says. 

"Oh, that's easy," Teo says. "I go to the same school Zuko Five Three Three does. You know where that is, right?" 

"Yes," Zuko says. 

"There you go, then," he says. 

"What happened to the Yeerk?" Zuko asks. 

"Sorry?" Teo blinks at them. 

"You're supposed to be a Controller," Zuko says. "So what happened to your Yeerk?" 

"Nothing," Teo says, tapping the side of his head. "He's right in here. I just don't let him out. He, uh, doesn't like me very much." 

"The fuck?" Lee says. "He'd _starve_." 

"I can handle that," Teo says with a shrug. "But you really do need to get out of here. Someone's gonna come up here sooner or later." 

"What _are_ you?" Zuko says. Teo . . . pauses, then shrugs. 

"I'm a Chee," he says. "Though you probably don't know what that is." 

"The fuck is a Chee?" Lee asks. 

"I really will explain later," Teo says. "Just come find me." 

Zuko has about eight thousand more questions, but Teo—the Chee—isn't wrong about them needing to get out of here. 

So it's definitely time to get out of here. 

"Fine," Zuko says, and the Chee smiles at them. 

.

.

.

"Why did you idiots try to blow up the pool?" Zuko asks the brother's mate at school the next day—she's the first one he's managed to get alone. They're back behind the gym. She blinks at him. 

"What?" she says. 

"Your buddy Jet snuck into the pool and then half of it _exploded_ ," Lee says dubiously. "You're not gonna convince us you weren't involved." 

"What?" she repeats, looking bemused. Zuko glowers at her. Azula Eight Nine Five reported the casualties this morning. It wasn't actually anywhere near a full half of the pool, of course, but he's still not feeling like playing around right now. 

"You killed more hosts than Yeerks, you realize," he says. 

"We didn't do anything," the brother's mate says. 

"Yeah, and I've got a bridge for sale downtown," Lee snorts. 

"We _didn't_ ," she says. "You saw Jet?" 

"No," Zuko says. "He morphed us and went down there." 

"He _what_?!" she hisses, her eyes widening. 

"Don't play innocent. Azula Eight Nine Five was down there," Lee says tersely. "You could've gotten Ty Lee killed." 

"We _didn't_!" the brother's mate insists. "We've been looking for him since yesterday! We didn't even have time to go down there!" 

"We don't believe you," Zuko says. 

"You really think we'd have killed hosts?" she asks. 

"You've done it before," Zuko says. 

"Not on _purpose_!" 

"Sure," Lee says. "Because the Kandrona plan definitely wasn't gonna do that." 

"We didn't _know_ ," she says defensively. 

"You 'don't know' a lot, don't you," Lee says derisively. 

“I mean it,” she says. “We wouldn’t have killed hosts if we could’ve avoided it. Are you sure it wasn’t . . . I don’t know, an accident or something?” 

“That your friend morphed us and pretended to be me?” Zuko asks incredulously. Pretended convincingly enough that the Chee apparently fell for it, to say nothing of Azula Eight Nine Five. 

“Not that part!” she says. “The explosion!” 

“There was apparently C-4 involved,” Zuko says. “So no.” 

“Shit,” she says, tightening her grip on her books. “Have you told the others yet?” 

“We literally do not care enough to bother,” Lee says. “We just want to know what the hell you people were thinking.” 

“It wasn’t us,” the brother’s mate says, shaking her head. 

"Yeah, we don't believe that," Lee says. "At all." 

"Really," she says. "Where would we even _get_ C-4?" 

"How should we know?" Zuko says in exasperation. "We use Dracon beams and martial arts, not _explosives_." 

"We don't know either," the brother's mate says. "All we've been doing is looking for Jet." 

"So where is he?" Lee says. 

"We don't know," she says. "If he was really at the pool, that's the last we've heard." 

"He was," Zuko says. 

"Then that's all we know," she says. Lee scowls at her. Zuko isn't sure if they should believe her or not, but he doesn't really know why she'd lie either. What would be the point? 

"How the hell do you lose an entire Animorph?" he says. 

"We seem to do that a lot, actually," the brother's mate says with a humorless smile. "We got Sokka stuck as a _nothlit_ , and then there's you and Zuko . . . or, uh, you and Lee. Sorry. I really don't know how to tell you apart, still." 

"Yeah, most of you seem to suck at that," Lee says. 

"You're not supposed to be able to," Zuko says. The brother and the youngest female seem to be the best at it, he thinks, though he's fairly sure the Andalite isn't even trying. The sister's usually wrong. He's not sure about the brother's mate or the leader. And who knows about the sister's friend. 

"You're different from each other, though," the brother's mate says. 

"No shit," Lee says. Zuko sighs. 

"Does it matter?" he asks. 

"I don't know," she says slowly. "Just . . . you're different. Neither of you seems like what I would've expected." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lee asks with a glower. 

"Just that you're different," she says. "That's all." 

"Whatever," Lee says, folding their arms and still glowering at her. "Just stay away from Ty Lee before you get her killed." 

"We're not trying to," the brother's mate says. 

"That means fuck all coming from you people," Lee says flatly. The brother's mate is quiet for a moment, then sighs too. 

"You're right," she says. "If Azula makes us kill her, we're going to kill her." 

"Real heroes of the human race," Lee snaps. 

"We know we're not," the brother's mate says. "We're just . . . fighting back. You get that, right?" 

"No," Zuko says. "We have superior numbers and technology, and the Andalites are nowhere near here. You're just going to get killed." 

"Maybe," she says, looking away for a moment. "Would you really just give up and die if it were you, though?" 

"A reasonable sentient would surrender and become a voluntary host," Zuko says. 

"But would _you_?" she says. 

"You do know who you're talking to, right?" Lee says with a snort. "Of course we would." 

"Mm." The brother's mate bites her lip, tightening her grip on her books again. "I don't understand you. Either of you. You really don't care about running your own lives? There's nothing you want that the Yeerks won't let you have?" 

"No," Lee says immediately. 

"No," Zuko says uncomfortably. 

There's . . . one thing. One thing he wants. 

< Is this about Mai? > Lee asks. 

< . . . yes, > Zuko admits. He can't have Mai Six Two Four and Lee at the same time, though. That's not how it works. And anyway, if it were up to the Andalites or the humans or whoever else, he wouldn't have _either_ of them. 

< Mai might get a human host someday, > Lee says. < There's a lot of us to go around. >

< Maybe, > Zuko says. If Mai Six Two Four had a human host too . . . well, they still wouldn't be working together again, probably, but maybe they'd be able to at least _see_ each other again. 

Mai Six Two Four probably doesn't want to have a human host, though. 

"I don't believe you," the brother's mate says. "I don't believe there's _nothing_ you'd want if you had the choice." 

"We don't care what you believe," Lee says, setting their jaw. 

"People give things up for the greater good," Zuko says stiffly. Their people are blind and near-deaf and defenseless in the mud, and humans have a planet like _this_ , and _Andalites_ have . . . "I'm serving the Empire how it needs me to." 

"You could just be human. Like Lee," she says. "You don’t _have_ to be a Yeerk and hurt people for the Empire." 

"And the rest of us?" Zuko asks. "I'd just walk away from my people and leave them to fight and die?" 

"You could," she says. "There's . . . somewhere safe we could go. Maybe you could come too." 

"What?" Zuko frowns at her. 

"What are you talking about?" Lee says. 

"There's someplace safe we could go," the brother's mate repeats. "If you were human too, I bet they'd let you come." 

"Who the hell is 'they'?" Lee asks suspiciously. 

"There's . . . someone," she says. "He offered to take us and our families someplace safe. To . . . preserve our species. He can get us off-planet." 

"That sounds like he's starting a zoo or some shit," Lee says. 

"He just wants to help," she says. 

"Does he?" Lee says. "How do you know?" 

"He could've just taken us," she says. "He's giving us a choice." 

"Not much of a choice," Zuko says. "Either you kill yourselves fighting us or you abandon your entire species and never see another human being again." 

He remembers the brother asking if they'd leave the Empire, if it meant he and Lee could be somewhere safe. 

Apparently this is where that question came from. 

"Why's he want you, anyway?" Lee says. "He could take _any_ humans, why would he pick the only ones who can actually fight?" 

"I . . . don't know," the brother's mate says with a frown. "Because we already know what's happening, I guess." 

"So does literally every involuntary host on the planet," Lee says. "And what's he planning on doing with Lu Ten? _He's_ not human." 

"I don't know," she says. "We didn't ask." 

"That seems like something you should ask," Zuko says. "Especially before trying to convince me to get stuck as a human." 

"Zuko doesn't _want_ to be human," Lee says. "And I don't want him to be human either." 

"You could be separate, though," the brother's mate says. 

"That's a _threat_ , not a selling point," Lee says, glaring at her. 

"You really don't want to be?" she says. 

"I'm a Yeerk," Zuko says. "We aren't meant to be alone." 

"And we're better this way," Lee says firmly. 

The brother's mate looks at them for a long moment, then lets out all her breath in a sigh. 

"Okay," she says. "If you're sure." 

"We're sure," Lee says. 

"Yes," Zuko confirms. He can't leave his people, or the voluntary hosts that he's responsible for, and Lee doesn't want to leave Ty Lee. 

And it's a war. They're not deserters. 

They're not _traitors_. 

"Okay," the brother's mate says, looking at them for another long moment. "I'll tell the others about the explosion. And Jet." 

"Whatever," Lee says. "Just keep him out of that morph. That's _our_ body. And we're not going to cover for him if he fucks up." 

"I understand," she says. 

"Good," Lee says. 

.

.

.

They make it halfway through the day before they find the sister's friend. They weren't looking for him, but he's hard to miss. 

He's in front of their locker with Azula Eight Nine Five, is the thing. 

And he's wearing their face. 

< Fuck, > Zuko says in immediate panic, diving into the janitor's closet before anyone else in the hall can notice them. 

< That fucking _idiot_ , > Lee growls as they peer out through the crack in the door. < He's going to get found out! She'll feed him to Ozai Three if he's _lucky_! >

< If _we're_ lucky, > Zuko says. The sister's friend apparently knows all about them, after all. If he gets infested . . . 

< _This_ problem we can solve with murder, right? > Lee says. 

< . . . maybe. >

Azula Eight Nine Five and the sister's friend are talking, by all apparent purposes pretending to be her host and Lee. The sister's friend is grinning a little too often, maybe, but maybe Azula Eight Nine Five made a joke. She does that, sometimes. 

Maybe she’s just not paying attention. She definitely does _that_ sometimes. 

Azula Eight Nine Five laughs her host’s laugh and the sister’s friend wraps an arm around her and tugs her in close. She smiles up at him and kisses him. He kisses back. 

Zuko has no _idea_ how humans can be this stupid. 

< Hey, don’t lump me in with the lunatic, > Lee says. < I’m _supposed_ to kiss Azula. >

< He’s going to make a mistake, > Zuko says. < She’ll figure him out. >

< Not in the next thirty seconds, hopefully, > Lee says. Zuko blinks. Why does the next thirty seconds—oh, right. They’re not in the same class next period. 

< Does he know our schedule? > he says. 

< Better hope so, > Lee says. 

Azula kisses the sister’s friend one last time, then pulls back and says something to him, beaming up at him cheerfully before trotting off. The sister’s friend watches her go for a moment, his expression darkening, then turns and heads off himself. 

< Fucker, > Lee mutters, and snakes their arm out of the closet to yank him inside and slam him against the door. “Are you _crazy_?!” 

“Nice to see you again too,” the sister’s friend says, grinning easily at them. 

“Your friends are looking for you,” Zuko says. 

“Are they?” the sister’s friend says. “Guess I’ve been a little busy.” 

“Demorph,” Zuko orders. The sister’s friend smirks at him. 

“What, you miss my face that much?” he asks lightly. Zuko glares at him. Lee snorts. 

“Demorph or you’re getting _punched_ in your face,” Lee says. The sister’s friend laughs. 

“Fine, fine,” he says, holding his hands up. They lengthen a bit, and so does the rest of him, and his skin and eyes get darker and his hair gets lighter. His clothes start fitting a little better. Lee’s still thinking about punching him; Zuko’s just glad to see him take their face off. He should only ever see that face in the mirror, as far as he’s concerned. 

Technically there’s still the morphing thing, but . . . 

Never mind that. 

“What did you have to do with the explosion at the pool?” Zuko asks. 

“Nothing,” the sister’s friend says with a shrug. “What makes you think I did?” 

“You were there,” Zuko says. 

“Yeah, I’ve been a lot of places lately,” the sister’s friend says. “Your girlfriend is a real get-up-and-go type.” 

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Zuko says, oddly irritated by the assumption. “Azula Eight Nine Five is my superior officer.” 

“Who you kiss?” The sister’s friend raises an eyebrow at him. 

“Our hosts are mates,” Zuko says. 

“Oh, but not you?” The sister’s friend quirks his mouth in amusement. “Sucks to be third wheel, I guess.” 

“That’s not how it works,” Zuko says, scowling at him. 

“We don’t even slightly believe you about the pool, by the way,” Lee says. “Nobody saw you all day and then you turn up down there wearing _our face_ and a bunch of cages get blown up five minutes later?” 

“Coincidences are weird, aren’t they,” the sister’s friend says, his smirk widening. Lee considers punching him again. Zuko considers letting him. 

“What were you doing down there, then?” he says. 

“Recon,” the sister’s friend says with another shrug. “Azula’s important, right? Following her around means hearing all sorts of shit.” 

“She _knows_ us, you realize,” Lee says. 

“Not that well, apparently,” the sister’s friend says. “She didn’t so much as give me a funny look, even when I went off to demorph.” 

“Then you were lucky,” Zuko says. Azula’s very good with people. He can’t imagine the sister’s friend knows him well enough to fool her long-term. If she hadn’t been distracted with Ozai Three’s impending inspection . . . 

“Maybe I'm just good,” the sister’s friend says, and Zuko twists their mouth in irritation. 

"Not that good," he says. "Azula Eight Nine Five is the smartest person on this backwards planet. You wouldn't know she'd figured you out until you were already dead." 

"Well I'm not dead yet, am I?" the sister's friend replies casually, raising an eyebrow at them. They're pinning him to the door, but he's acting like he's just lounging against it. 

"The _only_ reason you're not is because we've managed to avoid you," Zuko snaps. "If you'd morphed anyone else you would've been caught." 

He doesn't know how he _didn't_ get caught, frankly. What does some random human know about passing for a Yeerk? 

And he's still not sure about the Chee, whoever he actually is. 

"Didn't get caught, though, did I," the sister's friend says. 

"How do you think we know you were at the pool?" Zuko says. "Somebody saw us and thought we were an Andalite. If you hadn't been with Azula Eight Nine Five at the time they'd have thought _you_ were." 

"That seems like something Azula would've mentioned," the sister's friend says. 

"She doesn't know, obviously," Zuko says. 

"Then seems like she's not the smartest person on this backwards planet after all," the sister's friend replies with another smirk. 

"You got _lucky_ ," Zuko stresses. If it hadn't been the Chee . . . well, it wouldn't have been hard to figure out which one the imposter was and infest him, would it have. There wouldn't have been anything they could've done. "And Azula Eight Nine Five is too dangerous for you to mess around with. Do you understand?" 

"Sure," the sister's friend says with an easy smile. Lee stares at him suspiciously. Zuko thins their lips. "What? Don't believe me?" 

"Not remotely," Lee says. The sister's friend laughs. 

"Well, I'm the good guy here, if you forgot," he says. "So I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you bastards off this planet." 

"You killed people," Lee says. 

"And you enslaved them," the sister's friend replies easily. "Better dead than a host, right?" 

"No," Lee says. "Definitely not." 

The sister's friend laughs again, then shoves them back. Zuko doesn't brace them against it fast enough, though Lee keeps them from landing in the cleaning supplies. 

"Maybe you should think a little harder about that answer," the sister's friend says with a sneer. "Collaborator." 

Lee . . . tilts their head. 

"You aren't going to get away with this," Zuko says. 

"You have no idea what I'm getting away with, Yeerk," the sister's friend says, and turns and leaves. 

.

.

.

"You were right," Zuko says, grabbing the brother by the collar and dragging him off the sidewalk and into the trees. "Your sister's friend is insane." 

< Okay, first of all, watch the collar. Second of all, uh-oh, > the brother says. < What happened? >

"He morphed our body again," Zuko replies tersely. "And he's been hanging around Azula Eight Nine Five." 

< Jesus _Christ_. >

"He was responsible for the explosion at the pool last night," Zuko says. 

< How do you know? > the brother says. 

"He basically admitted it to us," Zuko says. 

< So nothing Katara and Lu Ten are gonna believe, you mean, > the brother says. Zuko scowls at him. 

"I don't care what they believe," he says. "I care that you all _do_ something about him before he gets us all killed." 

< Yeah I don't exactly wanna get everybody else infested either, > the brother says, sounding troubled. < Hmmm. >

"If you don't handle him, we will," Lee says. 

< That mean what I think it means, Lee? > the brother says. 

"You figure it out," Lee says. 

.

.

.

Back at school the next day, they see the Chee again. Zuko isn't sure what to do about him, still, but he wants an explanation before they end up with a problem. 

Anyway, the sister's friend seems to be wearing his own face today, so the Chee is definitely the bigger concern right now. 

"Hey," he says as he approaches the other. 

"Hey, Lee," the Chee says with a smile, looking away from his locker and up at him.

"We need to talk," Zuko says. 

"Everything okay?" the Chee asks, tilting his head. 

"Literally nothing is okay, actually, but this is about that explanation," Lee says. 

"Oh?" The Chee straightens up a bit, looking mildly surprised. "It's you again? Really, you didn't pick a different body?" 

"I only have one human morph," Zuko says, which isn't even a lie. He only has one morph at all, technically. 

"You should probably work on that," the Chee says. "Considering." 

"I'll take it under advisement," Zuko says dryly. It feels weird just saying "I'll" instead of "we'll" to someone who knows they're not a normal human, but they _are_ still pretending to be just one person, so . . . 

"Just saying," the Chee says. "Can you come to my house after school? Promise I'll keep it under two hours." 

< Oh, great, now he wants to take us to a secondary location, > Lee mutters. 

"Fine," Zuko says, folding their arms. It's not their smartest plan, definitely, but they need to know what the hell a Chee is and what that means, and he can understand the Chee not wanting to have that conversation in the middle of a school that sits directly over the local Yeerk pool. 

Doesn't make him want to trust him, but he understands. 

"Cool," the Chee says. "Meet me here after class and I'll show you the way." 

.

.

.

< We need to split up for this, > Zuko says, ducking into the bathroom at the end of the day. It's empty, mercifully, and he cracks the window open just wide enough for, say, a red-tailed hawk to slip out of. 

< Are you crazy?! > Lee demands. 

< We don't have any other backup, > Zuko says. < One of us needs to be able to morph something dangerous and break in if the other's in trouble. >

< You mean if _you're_ in trouble, > Lee says. 

< I don't have a dangerous morph, > Zuko reminds him. < I can only morph into you. >

< Then we're fixing that! > Lee says. 

< Maybe, but not today, > Zuko says. < There's not enough time. >

< Zuko! >

< It's alright, > Zuko says. < Besides, I know how to pretend to be an Andalite better anyway, and you wouldn't be able to use thoughtspeak to keep in touch unmorphed. >

< I don't care! >

< It's _fine_ , Lee. >

< It is _not_! >

< It's going to have to be, > Zuko says, bracing their body against the door to make sure no one comes in and then starting to worm his way out of their ear. Lee makes an outraged noise, but that's all Zuko hears before he loses contact with the other's senses. Lee catches him before he can fall, and it's very strange being . . . _held_ , Zuko supposes. He supposes this is being held. 

He starts to morph, which is harder in his own body but somehow easier too, though he can't really explain why, even to himself. Lee lets him down onto the floor, but keeps holding onto him as he grows. They end up crouched face-to-face on the tile, both human-shaped and Lee glowering at him. 

"Idiot," Lee says. 

"Give me your clothes," Zuko says. It's cold in here, and more importantly they don't have much time. Lee makes an aggravated sound but gets back up and starts stripping off his normal clothes, leaving just his morphing outfit underneath. They've been wearing it all this time, as if they were actually going to need it or something. 

Apparently this is them needing it, Zuko supposes. He gets up too and starts putting on the clothes Lee's taking off. Lee gives him another dirty look but starts morphing into their—his—hawk. 

< If you get killed, I'm never forgiving you, > he swears. < And I'm _murdering_ Teo. >

"You're jumping to that as a solution a little too often lately," Zuko says wryly, shrugging into their jacket and straightening its sleeves. They left their backpack in their locker so the Chee wouldn't wonder about where they'd gotten it. He's probably already wondering where they got the clothes they're wearing. Zuko hopes he hasn't seen them in them before. 

< It's a logical solution! >

"It's a very limited solution," Zuko says. Lee jumps up and flaps up to perch on his arm, careful not to dig his talons in deep enough to pierce fabric or flesh. 

< Azula would agree with me, > Lee accuses. Zuko lifts him to the window. 

"Be safe," he says, and Lee hops onto the windowsill. 

< Look who's talking, > he says. 

.

.

.

Zuko meets the Chee and they take the bus to his house. Lee spends the ride flying overhead, restless and muttering in thoughtspeak about the weapons they should've brought or reinforcements they should've arranged for, like they have that many options for those. Or any options, at this point. Zuko just lets him mutter, keeping an eye on the Chee—and the clock. He doesn't want to get himself stuck as a human or Lee stuck as a hawk, much less blow their already extremely flimsy cover. 

He resists the urge to pull out their cell phone and at least tell someone where they're going to be. He doesn't want Azula Eight Nine Five or Jee Five Three Three knowing about this and the Animorphs aren't their allies and probably have their number blocked by now anyway. 

Besides, they're probably busy dealing with the sister's friend. 

Mother Sky, he really hopes he isn't about to get Lee killed. 

< We should get a bigger battle morph, > Lee says speculatively as Zuko gets off the bus with the Chee, waiting for the ramp to lower for him. 

< We really do not need that, > Zuko says. 

< You're going into a stranger's house with no backup, > Lee says. 

< The wolf's good enough, > Zuko says. 

< The wolf could be an _elephant_. >

< Please don't go and acquire an elephant right now. >

"This one's me," the Chee says, leading the way to his house and up the walkway. Zuko follows him as Lee lands in a tree in the yard, and the Chee unlocks the door and lets them inside. There's a human inside, and Zuko's so surprised he only belatedly remembers having met the Chee's father before—or whoever this person actually is. 

"Ah, hello!" the Chee's father greets cheerfully, looking up from the complicated mess of wires and circuits on the coffee table in front of him. It's hard to recognize the specific technology, though Zuko doesn't _think_ it's human, and it's definitely not Yeerk. 

"This is the Andalite," the Chee says as Zuko lets the door close behind him. His father straightens up attentively. "Um . . . sorry, I just realized I never got your name." 

"Luroh-Tenzulon-Sozin," Zuko lies, since the actual Andalite isn't here to be using the name. "Of the Dome Ship _GalaxyTree_." 

"Hello, Luroh-Tenzulon-Sozin," the Chee's father says, looking fascinated. 

"This way," the Chee says, gesturing towards a wide hallway in the back of the living room. "We'll be quick, I know we don't have too much time." 

"Alright," Zuko says warily, and follows him towards it. The Chee's father untangles from his strange mish-mash of wires and trails after them. Zuko wishes he wouldn't, although he supposes now it'll be easier for Lee to break in if he needs to. 

< The front room's clear, > he tells him. 

< Good, > Lee says. < I still think this plan sucks, though. >

< We've survived worse ones. >

< That was basically the least reassuring thing you could've said, Zuko. >

"Down here," the Chee says, pointing to a set of stairs with an attached lift. It leads to the basement, it looks like. 

< Basement, > Zuko informs Lee before heading down the steps. 

< Oh, good! Nothing bad ever happens in a _basement_! >

"Sorry it's kinda cramped," the Chee says as he gets into the lift. His father folds up his wheelchair and brings it down the stairs after him. "It'll be better in a moment." 

"'Better'?" Zuko asks as the other gets back into his chair, and then the floor starts to move and he startles. "Fuck!" 

"It's an elevator," the Chee says. "Sorry, should've mentioned." 

"How far down does it go?" Zuko asks, immediately wary again. If it's out of the range of thoughtspeak . . . 

"Not too far," the Chee says. Zuko was more hoping for a numerical reply. 

< Elevator, > he warns Lee just in case. < Might be out of range for a bit. >

< You what?! >

< Just stay calm, okay? >

< I am not even a little bit calm about this! >

"You picked an ironic human morph," the Chee's father says. 

"What?" Zuko says. 

"Lee's the Controller who 'recruited' me," the Chee says. "Zuko Five Three Three. He's kind of important in the Sharing, although I'm assuming that's why you picked him." 

"Ah," Zuko says. The floor stops moving. < Can you hear me? >

< Barely. >

< Better than nothing. >

A door opens in the wall, and to Zuko's bemusement, sunlight pours in. The Chee and his father head through, and he follows them with trepidation and steps out into . . . 

"Is this a _dog_ park?" he asks incredulously before he can think better of it. The space opens up into a huge underground area full of grass and trees and frolicking dogs of all shapes and sizes, and it very much looks like a park. 

"Yes," the Chee says, and then Zuko actually notices the androids playing with said dogs, which all things considered he probably should've seen first. "You know what a dog park is?" 

"I know what androids are too," Zuko says. 

"Oh, yeah," the Chee says with a laugh, and then his human face disappears like someone flicked a switch and reveals a strange skeletal form made of metal and ivory that looks very much like a canine that walks on its hind legs. The Chee himself doesn't walk, obviously, but every other android down here is. 

"What the hell," Zuko says, staring down at him. 

"The human faces are just a hologram," the Chee explains. 

"This isn't human technology," Zuko says. 

"We're not," the Chee agrees. "You can demorph if you want. It's safe down here." 

"No thanks," Zuko says, folding his arms uncomfortably. The Chee shrugs. 

"Okay," he says. 

"What _are_ you?" Zuko asks. 

"Toys," the Chee says. "Originally. Our creators the Pemalites made us to play with and be their companions. They had work for us, too, but it was mostly that. They named us the Chee. It means 'friend'." 

"I've never heard of a Pemalite," Zuko says. 

"They're dead," the Chee says, somehow managing to display sorrow with a metal face. "It's . . . a long story. Or a very short one." 

"What are you doing here?" Zuko says. 

"We ran here," the Chee says. "To hide." 

"And the dogs?" 

"The Pemalites are all dead. They didn't survive the trip here," the Chee says. "But we put their essence into the closest Earth species to them that we could find—wolves—and dogs came from that." 

"You _made_ dogs," Zuko says, looking around the park again in bemusement. It's an Earth environment, but some part of him still thinks of blue-green grass. 

"They're a companion race to humans, now," the Chee says. "If you didn't know." 

"So you're independent," Zuko says. 

"We weren't meant to be slaves," the Chee says, shaking his head. "We were the Pemalites' friends." 

"What the hell are you doing pretending to be a Controller, then?" Zuko says. 

"Humans are important to dogs," the Chee says. "Humans and dogs rely on each other. We don't want to see them enslaved, or this planet's environment destroyed by the Yeerks." 

"You want to save the sentients on this planet because of their _pets_ ," Zuko says. "So you're . . . infiltrating the invasion?" 

"Yes," the Chee says. 

"Oh," Zuko says. He has no idea how to feel about this. 

< What's happening? > Lee asks. 

< I honestly have no idea how to explain it to you. >

"Why are you telling me this?" Zuko asks. 

"You want to save this planet too, don't you?" the Chee says. "We can help each other. We're programmed to be non-violent, so we can't fight, but we can get information to you. And . . . maybe there's something else we can do, in the future." 

"Something else?" Zuko cocks his head. 

"I'm not sure about it yet," the Chee says. "But the Yeerks might have something we can use to help you." 

"What something?" Zuko frowns. 

"We call it a Pemalite crystal," the Chee says. "It's a computer processor." 

"What does it do?" Zuko says. He hasn't heard any talk about anything like that. 

"It can rewrite any computer's code," the Chee says. "Including every single one on Earth. Including ours." 

"And you think the Yeerks have one," Zuko says, raising his eyebrows at him. He _definitely_ hasn't heard any talk about anything like that. 

"Maybe," the Chee says. "If we can find it, we can reprogram ourselves and help you fight." 

"I don't . . ." Zuko starts, hesitating. A race of androids could be very dangerous. There's dozens and dozens of them down here; who knows how many there are altogether? 

"I understand if you don't trust us. You can talk to the other Andalites about it before you decide anything," the Chee says. "You know where to find us." 

"Right," Zuko says uncomfortably. He looks at the park again. More dogs run by, barking excitedly. He really doesn't know what to do. 

Definitely _not_ tell the Animorphs about this, though. 

"How are you keeping your Yeerk alive?" he asks after a moment. 

"Oh, we can generate Kandrona rays," the Chee says. "It's not hard." 

"Ah," Zuko says, and still doesn’t know what to do. 

.

.

.

Zuko leaves the Chee's house with half an hour to spare on his morph. Lee flies by overhead. 

< All good? > he asks. 

< I have no idea, > Zuko says, and really doesn't. 

.

.

.

The leader is sitting on the front steps of Lee's house. Zuko . . . blinks. 

"What are you doing here?" he says. 

"Can we talk?" the leader asks. 

"What were you going to do if Jee Five Three Three got here first?" Zuko says. 

"Lie," the leader says with a shrug. 

"Inside," Zuko says. Jee Five Three Three isn't due back 'til late. "I need to demorph." 

"You what?" The leader gives him a confused look. 

< What, you thought we forgot how to do it? > Lee asks with a snort, landing on the roof. The leader looks up at him in surprise as Zuko unlocks the house and holds the door open. Lee looks around, then swoops inside. Zuko and the leader follow him in. 

"I didn't think about it, I guess," the leader says. Lee's already demorphing on the couch. Zuko checks their cell phone for the time, then starts to do the same. They cut it a bit too close for comfort, he thinks. Maybe they should've found someplace closer to the Chee's house to demorph. 

"Well, we didn't," he says while he still has a mouth. He probably should've gone downstairs to the pool to do this, but he's already started, so . . . 

"I guess not," the leader says, sitting down awkwardly on the free end of the couch. Zuko's eyes and ears melt away about then, so he doesn't see or hear anything else until he feels familiar hands picking him up and holding him against an even more familiar ear. He squirms back inside Lee and wraps himself around his brain, sinking back into the controls of their body and exhaling. It's strange reinfesting Lee somewhere besides the pool, but it's not the first time he's done it. 

"Why are you here?" he asks as he picks up their abandoned clothes to redress, looking at the leader. He hasn't left the couch. 

"Suki and Sokka said you think Jet attacked the pool," he says. 

"Because he did," Lee says. 

"Involuntary hosts got killed, though," the leader says. "Ones without any Yeerks in them." 

"Yes," Zuko confirms. "Mostly involuntary hosts got killed, actually." 

"So why would you think he did it?" the Ieader says. 

"Probably because you idiots all keep saying 'better dead than a host'," Lee says derisively, pulling their shirt back on. "Which seems like a pretty important decision for you to be making for other people, just for the record." 

"Mm." The leader looks down. 

"You know your grandfather could've been in those cages, right?" Lee says. "Would you rather kill him than let him be a host?" 

"I . . . don't know," the leader says. "I don't want to kill anyone." 

"You're getting worse and worse at that," Lee says. 

"I know," the leader says, his hands fisting against his thighs. "We're trying not to, but . . . I know." 

"Did you seriously risk coming here just to ask about him?" Zuko says. "You could've just talked to him, couldn't you?" 

"He says he didn't do it," the leader says. 

"Then he's a liar," Lee says. 

"He knows you wouldn't approve, I guess," Zuko says with a loose shrug. 

"He'd be a murderer," the leader says. 

"Then you've got a murderer on your hands," Lee says matter-of-factly. 

"I don't know if I can trust you," the leader says, looking troubled. 

"Tell me who the hell else would've or could've planted that bomb, then," Zuko says. He already knows it wasn't the Chee, it definitely wasn't an accident, and the rest of the Animorphs do everything together. 

"Yeerks sabotage each other all the time," the leader says, and Zuko gives him an incredulous look. 

"A Yeerk would've been competent," he says. "That was an inconvenience, not anything crippling." 

"You said a lot of hosts died, though," the leader says. 

"There's billions of humans," Zuko says, turning their head away as they shrug into their jacket. "The Empire isn't going to get upset over a few dozen of them." 

"I really don't understand you," the leader says. "They don't care about you or Lee at all. How can you be loyal to people like that?" 

"Your people's leaders don't care about you either," Zuko says. "At least mine are trying to better us. What are yours doing?" 

"I don't care about them," the leader says. "I care about what's happening to innocent people." 

"So only humans are innocent?" Zuko asks with a scowl. 

"I didn't say that," the leader says. "But humans aren't attacking Yeerks. This is our planet." 

"You've never seen our planet," Zuko says, scowl darkening. "It's horrible." 

"That makes it okay to take over other people's?" the leader says. 

"We're ruining it just as fast as the Yeerks would," Lee says. "We can't pretend we're any better for it." 

"We're not all _trying_ to ruin it," the leader says in frustration. "And we're still not the ones taking other people over." 

"You're not gonna convince us humans are gonna put ourselves to better use than the Yeerks would," Lee says. "We've had long enough to figure that out." 

"Lee, not everybody's life is like yours was," the leader says, giving them a pained look. "And it's _awful_ your life was like that, but it doesn't mean there's nothing worth saving in humans." 

"There's really not," Lee says. 

"You've never met anybody who deserved saved? Not on this whole planet?" the leader says. "Not any of us? Or Ty Lee?" 

"Ty Lee's _safe_!" Lee says angrily. 

"Ty Lee's _trapped_ ," the leader says. 

"You don't know anything about it!" Lee snaps. 

"You keep saying that," the leader says. "But Ty Lee’s the only one who could tell us either way, and we can't ask her, can we." 

"Shut up!" Lee says. 

"You're upsetting my host," Zuko says, putting soothing pressure against the other's mind. Lee's consciousness still ripples in frustration. 

"I'm just asking him to really think about this," the leader says, getting to his feet. "And he should think about what you'd do if he changed his mind, too." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko says with a frown. 

"What would you do if Lee wanted to do something you didn't?" the leader asks. "If he agreed with us?" 

"I don't," Lee says. Zuko . . . isn't sure what to say. 

"Hosts don't always know what's best for them," he says after a moment. "I take care of my hosts." 

< I know what's best for me! > Lee says indignantly. < Since when do I not?! >

< Lee, you're a very good host, but you _know_ you don't always know that kind of thing, > Zuko says. The bruises on their throat after Lee's father choked him lasted for days. 

< That's different! > Lee says. < And anyway, I'm faster with a Dracon beam than you. I saved our butts more than once. >

< I know that, > Zuko says. < That's not what we're talking about. >

< No, we're definitely talking about that! >

". . . are you two having a fight?" the leader asks carefully. 

"No!" they both snap, glaring at him. 

"You look like you're having a fight," the leader says. "Your expression keeps changing." 

"It's none of your damn business!" Lee says. 

"You should leave now," Zuko says. 

"I will," the leader says. "But you still need to think about what you're going to do when you finally disagree about something. Who gets to make that call?" 

"You don't get to know that," Zuko says sharply. The leader looks at them for a long moment, then just shrugs. 

"Okay," he says quietly. "If that's what you want." 

.

.

.

The leader leaves. They go upstairs to their room and lay down on their bed. 

< I don't like him, > Lee says. 

< I want to throw him into a pit, > Zuko says. 

< We could do that. >

Zuko covers their face with a pillow. Lee tightens their grip on it. 

Zuko thinks of blue-green grass, and—

And—

And Lee's mother, strangely. 

< There's nobody, > Lee says abruptly. < Nobody I'd save over you. >

Zuko is silent, and doesn't know what to say. 

.

.

.

"We have to go see the Kandrona tonight," Azula Eight Nine Five says as she checks her—already perfect—lipstick in her compact mirror. 

"Why?" Zuko asks, trying very hard to focus on the conversation. The Animorphs are all sitting together on the other side of the open-air food court, even the sister's friend and the Andalite and the brother all there. He's trying not to notice them, but he’s sure they’ve noticed _them_. 

He’s also vaguely concerned that the brother might be able to hear them, even over all the noise of the crowded food court. 

"Orders from Ozai Three," Azula Eight Nine Five says. "Visser One is coming planetside. He wants everything in order." 

"She is?" Zuko blinks at her in surprise. He's never even _seen_ Visser One. Her host is human, he thinks, but that's all he knows about her. 

"Yes," Azula Eight Nine Five says. "So we're going to make sure everything's in order, or Ozai Three will gut us in the middle of the pool." 

"Yeah, let's avoid that," Lee says with a grimace. 

"Mm, yes, let’s," Azula Eight Nine Five says, snapping her compact shut and putting it away. “Best tell Jee Five Three Three you’ll be late tonight. This is going to take a while.” 

“Got it,” Zuko says, pulling out their phone to text him. Azula Eight Nine Five doesn’t usually bother mentioning that kind of thing, so they’re going to be _damn_ late. 

They finish eating their food and putting up the illusion of a date, and Zuko really hopes the brother didn’t hear any of that, and then they leave together and make their way to the EGS Tower and the waiting Kandrona in a car driven by a Controller Zuko doesn’t know. He’s not sure why they’re the ones doing this, and is vaguely uneasy that it might mean they really are being considered for promotions. 

He really hopes not. 

< Are you really gonna have to take a different host if you get promoted? > Lee asks warily. 

< Depends on the promotion, > Zuko says, glancing out the car window. < They might not make me. >

They also might, of course, which would just end . . . _wonderfully_ , for sure. 

< Even if they do, you’ll be fine, > he says. 

< If somebody kills you I am not gonna be _fine_ , > Lee says. 

“About time,” Azula Eight Nine Five says, and the car pulls to a stop on the street in front of the tower. They get out, and the car pulls away. 

“This place is huge,” Lee says, tipping their head back to look up to the top of the tower. The Kandrona is on one of the highest floors, Zuko knows, though he hasn’t seen it before. He’s fairly sure every Yeerk in this city knows that, and presumably also all the Chee since their hologram technology is apparently too advanced for his people to detect. 

“Tallest building in this miserable little town,” Azula Eight Nine Five says. 

The doorman opens the door for them, and they head inside. 

.

.

.

The elevator music is annoying. Azula Eight Nine Five is spending the trip filing one of her nails. Lee is dying of boredom. Zuko . . . 

Zuko is just here, he supposes. 

He wonders what Azula Eight Nine Five’s host is doing. 

“What’s your host doing?” he asks. 

“What?” Azula Eight Nine Five gives him a bemused look. 

“Never mind,” he says. The elevator doors open, and they step out and are greeted by a pair of human-Controllers, who take them to the Kandrona. It looks . . . like a Kandrona, mostly. Zuko just stands there while Azula Eight Nine Five grills the others, generally useless. He’s still not really sure why he’s here. 

He really, _really_ hopes this isn’t about a promotion. 

“And are all the staff Controllers?” Azula Eight Nine Five asks. 

“Almost,” one of the others says. “There are a few janitors we’re going to infest tonight, just to be safe.” 

“Honestly the security here’s kind of shit, isn’t it,” Lee says, peering out the nearest window and looking down at the street sixty floors below. Azula Eight Nine Five arches an eyebrow at them. 

“Oh?” she says. 

“The Andalites have at least one elephant morph,” Lee says, glancing back at her. “They could morph a staff member, take the elevator up, stomp right in here, and shove this thing out a window. It’s not even, like, _secured_.” 

“There are ten Hork-Bajir up here,” one of the human-Controllers says. 

“Yeah, ‘cuz Andalites are so bad at killing those,” Lee snorts. 

“You do have a point,” Azula Eight Nine Five says, pursing her lips. 

“With all due respect, the Andalite bandits don’t even know where the Kandrona _is_ ,” the other human-Controller says. 

“And that’s the excuse you’re going to give Ozai Three?” Azula Eight Nine Five asks mildly. The other pales. 

“We can get some more guards,” the first one says. “And restraining bolts.” 

“Yes, let’s do that,” Azula Eight Nine Five says pleasantly, locking her hands together behind her back. “Has anyone else been up here today?” 

“Just Mongke Six Six Six this morning,” the second Controller says. Azula tilts her head. 

“What was he doing here?” she asks. 

“Uh . . .” 

“You do _know_ , don’t you?” 

The human-Controllers share a panicked look. Azula gives them a nearly pitying one. 

“Zuko Five Three Three,” she says. “Go find me a Hork-Bajir.” 

“On it,” Lee says, heading out into the hall again. It doesn’t take much effort to find one; they only have to turn a couple corners. 

It turns out to be a very _specific_ one, though. 

“Mai?” Lee asks in surprise, tilting their head, and she looks down at them, tilting her own head in turn. She’s with two other Hork-Bajir-Controllers, though Zuko doesn’t recognize either of them. 

“Yes, Zuko Five Three Three?” she says. 

“Azula Eight Nine Five wants one of you in the Kandrona’s room,” Zuko says, resisting the urge to specify Mai Six Two Four. It’s . . . very tempting, though. 

“Mai Six Two Four will go,” Mai Six Two Four says to the other two, and they nod and settle back into their positions. Zuko resists the urge to say . . . something. Mai Six Two Four heads past them, and they follow her around the corner and down the hall. 

"What are you doing down here? Weren't you on the Blade Ship?" Lee asks. Mai Six Two Four pauses, looking back at them. Zuko feels their face get hot. 

"Sorry," he says. "That was my host." 

"Zuko Five Three Three's host is nosy," Mai Six Two Four says. 

"Kinda," Lee says. Mai Six Two Four looks at them for another long moment. Zuko resists the urge to touch her. 

He really wants to touch her. 

She turns back around and keeps going. They have to hurry to keep up. 

"Oh, Mai Six Two Four," Azula Eight Nine Five says as they enter the Kandrona room, looking mildly surprised. There's red blood on the floor, but no sign of the human-Controllers. Zuko wonders what she did to them, but refrains from asking. "Zuko Five Three Three, get someone in here to clean this up, won't you?" 

"Yeah, sure," Lee sighs. Zuko glances at Mai Six Two Four one last time—can't help it—and leaves again. 

He really doesn't want to. 

.

.

.

They find someone to clean up the blood, though it takes longer than Zuko would've liked. He's itching to see Mai Six Two Four again, even though there's really no excuse to talk to her. She probably won't even be there by the time they get back. 

He hates the idea that she wouldn't be there. 

But of course she won't. 

The elevator dings down the hall, and Zuko . . . pauses. No one else should be coming up here right now, should they? 

He doesn't think they should. 

They head down the hall. The elevator doors are closing, but he doesn't see anyone around. That's . . . odd. Isn't it? 

Still, he doesn't see anyone. 

< Do you hear anything? > Lee says. 

< No, > Zuko says. < You didn't either, right? >

< No, > Lee says. Zuko frowns. 

Odd, he thinks, but there really isn't any sign of anyone. They glance around one last time, then turn around to head back. The hallway doesn't get any less empty. 

They walk back into the Kandrona’s room and everyone looks at them. Azula Eight Nine Five, Mai Six Two Four, and—

"Fuck," Lee says as they stare at their face, a perfect copy even down to their clothes standing right next to the Kandrona. Their face smirks, just for an instant, and then whoever's wearing it reaches into their jacket. Zuko's trying to figure out what the _fuck_ , but of course it's got to be the sister's friend. 

Is he _insane_ , Zuko thinks incredulously, and then the sister's friend pulls out a detonator. 

Okay. Yes, he's insane. 

_"Fuck!"_ Lee says, and Azula Eight Nine Five whips out a Dracon beam and Mai Six Two Four lunges forward, and the sister's friend hits the detonator button. Something explodes downstairs. 

And keeps exploding. 

The sister’s friend hits the window with the detonator and it shatters, and he leaps out it because _he's insane_ , and Azula Eight Nine Five's Dracon beam sizzles uselessly through the air just past him, and Mai Six Two Four wraps her bladed body around Zuko and Lee right before the floor explodes underneath their feet. 

They fall, and everything goes dark.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr!](http://suzukiblu.tumblr.com/)


End file.
